


RUOK

by Awowogei



Category: Runescape (Video Games)
Genre: Coming of Age, Gen, OC, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 73,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24019771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awowogei/pseuds/Awowogei
Summary: This is the story of how Riza Paramaya became an adventurer.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

It was bright and sunny a week ago in Brimhaven. Despite the season, the air was drier than sand on its beaches due to a lack of rain, and the cool winds from the sea were seemingly devoured by the dense jungle bordering the port.

As the heat rose, so too did the musk of the packed seaside town. Still, no such heat would stop the bustling of locals and sailors going about their business. Within the havened walls of the Shrimp and Parrot, the toils of the outside were replaced by the spicy sizzle of local seafood and clattering of plates among friends.

Among the patrons sat the Paramaya family, who had come to visit from the bustling city of Ardougne. Before them, a feast of fish, chutneys, and sides was spread across the large table, with a centerpiece of spicy, grilled karambwan. The bright colors of the meal accented the vibrant clothing of the diners.

Not two days ago did Riza, his mother Mieke, and his father Lwazi attend his cousin T'fruti's wedding. The four of them were joined at the table by newlywed Sami, his younger brother Kangai and their two dads Fanyana and Sipho.

To an observer, the Mau’s would appear a quiet bunch, but that was only because of the excited chatter of the newlywed couple. T’fruti’s jewelry jangled and her braids waved about as she laughed and retold the events of her wedding to her aunt and uncle. Her expressive movements and stories were peppered with bouts of teasing between her and her husband. 

The joy and laughter helped distract the Paramaya’s from the oppressive heat; the Mau’s were accustomed to it, but Riza's family was not so lucky. Mieke, at least, had thought ahead and had brought a fan to keep herself cool. Her son, on the other hand, regretted not trimming some of his bushy red hair.

Listening intently to his cousin’s stories, Riza reached over to cut a tentacle off the karambwan to put over his lentils. It was nice to hear what was happening between the adults during the wedding. Her storytime was also an excellent chance to grab more shares of the seafood scattered across the table, as everyone was distracted. Karambwanji fillets, marlon fillets, lobster, and all of the sides were within his grasp.

Unfortunately, the heist was discovered by Kangai across the table, who quickly muscled in for his own share of the loot. Riza was amazed at how much Kangai was grabbing, as he was quite the twig of a teenager. 

Content with his earnings, Riza gave his lentils a light spread of some of the mediumly-spiced sauces and began nibbling on his food. The combination of the chutney and the spiced karambwan erupted in his mouth; a comforting inferno of flavor that almost numbed him to the surrounding heat.

Out of the corner of his eye, Riza saw Kangai’s mighty jaw open and began accepting the shovels of food within. He noticed how Kangai was eating from the milder sauces - the only one on his side of the family that wasn’t eating the spiciest options.

With his focus drifting forward, Riza started to consider the spice levels of everyone at the table. His eyes glossed over as he started ranking and grouping family members in spice categories. Eventually he starts wondering if he was on the cusp of discovering a spicy zodiac, and what catchy names would come with it. It wasn’t long before every corner of Riza’s mind was filled with observations about the sauces at the table.

In fact, he ended up so lost in thought, that he didn’t realize T’fruti was meeting his expressively blank stare. It than took a few moments for him to notice her silence, the look on her face, or even the giggles from the others at the table.

“Are you okay, cousin?” T'fruti asked, snapping him back to reality.

Mieke leaned into her niece. “That boy, always lost in his head.” 

“S-sorry, I didn’t, uh, was I staring?” Riza stuttered, getting his bearings back. 

“Yeah, you were," T’fruti laughed while tapping her temple. "Got things on the brain?”

Lwazi patted him on the back. “He’s always got things on the brain, never a moment when that boy’s mind isn’t off to Asgarnia," he lauded. "But he’s a sharp one. He’ll make a good appraiser someday, _I_ think.” 

Mieke proudly bobbed her head in agreement, while Riza squirmed at the high praise.

“What were you thinking about then, bwana?” Sami asked cheerily. 

Riza’s eyes grew wide as he silently choked, realizing he had to admit his ‘sharp appraisals’ were nonsense about chutney. He took a moment to re-trace his line of thought to the seemingly most coherent point.

“Um... I was thinking about… how everyone in your family likes really spicy food," he said, finally.

There was a half-second long pause that lasted for hours before Sami, as mildly impressed as one could be, nodded to his wife. 

T’fruti threw her hands up and rolled her eyes at her husband. “Oh gods, don’t get me started on this man’s spicy food.”

With that, she began another round of stories and teasing. Riza sighed with relief that the conversation had moved along.

Amid the storytelling, the waiter stopped by to clear up some empty plates. As he reached a pasty arm towards a pile of fish bones, Mieke placed her hand upon it.

“Oh, no, can you leave those there? I want to use them later," she said.

The waiter paused, eyes unfocused as he tried to come up with a response, before simply shrugging and taking the other dishes. 

T’fruti leaned in to her aunt. “You think you have enough here for an offering, auntie?” she asked.

Mieke flapped her hand to indicate ‘it’s fine’ before gathering them in a pouch.

Fanyana cleared his throat. “Mieke, Lwazi, there was something we wanted to ask you two about, actually," he announced.

Riza felt his heart drop. He lowered his head and rested it on his knuckles, stirring the food on his plate with his other hand.

Lwazi dabbed his drenched forehead with a napkin and smiled. “Go ahead! We’re family now.”

“We know that your family-” Sipho started.

“No, no, Chief Sipho, OUR family, eh?” Lwazi finished.

Sipho beamed. “Yes, bwana, we know you deal in buying artifacts from the, uh…” he struggled for the word “The... nobility.”

“That we do." Mieke said, queuing a drink of water. "You were stolen from?” 

“Yes, our totem.” Sipho said.

“ _Ahh_ , your spirit’s totem, I assume?” Lwazi asked.

The two dads nodded. Sami and Kangai lowered their heads dejectedly.

“It was stolen a few months ago, by an Ardougnese man.” Fanyana explained.

“Do you know which nobleman it was?” T’fruti asked.

Riza pursed his lips in anticipation. 

Sipho nodded “His name was, Er… What was it, Kangai?”

Kangai, without looking up, sighed quickly and muttered “Handelmort.”

Riza’s parents gave each other a quick look as a chill was felt among the Paramayas.

Francis Handlemort was a prominent nobleman back in Ardougne. In his expeditions through the jungles of Karamja, he had stolen countless treasures and artifacts from the local towns and villages. Such thefts weren’t uncommon from the Ardougne nobility; the Paramaya’s often used their mercantile wealth and connections to reclaim their tribe's artifacts from nobles. 

Handelmort was different, though. He never allowed merchants to view his private gallery of stolen treasures. He also had connections to some of the shadier sides of the city, and was often either away or pointedly not accepting visitors at all.

It was always a worst case scenario if Handelmort got his hands on anything.

After a pause hung in the air, Lwazi leaned back, stroking the bottom of his beard. “Yeah, we know him. We’ve, ehhh, had to deal with him in the past.” 

The two dads glanced at each other. “Do you… do you think you can get it from him?” Fanyana asked.

T’fruti started to say something to her uncle, than her fathers-in-law, then her husband, before finally asking “You, uh, you’re sure it’s Handelmort? That was his name?”

Sipho gestured with his hand. “Kangai’s the one who’s sure," he said. "All those Ardougnese names sound the same to me.”

Lwazi _hrrmed_ contemplatively.

Riza glared guiltily at his food as he continued to stir it like a witches cauldron. He knew that this was tricky, since the Rantuki tribe’s totem was used to keep the spirits calm and demons at bay. It would be hard to say no, especially since they were family now.

“Yes, we can get it for you.” Mieke said suddenly.

Riza, T'fruti, and Lwazi, all snapped their heads to face her with wide eyes. 

Fanyana sighed with relief as Sipho raised his hands to the sky in praise.

“Thank you, this means the world to us!" Fanyana said. "We can never repay you!” 

Lwazi shared a glance with his wife, than they both stood up to shake hands with their in-laws. Riza noticed Kangai smiling and giving him a thumbs up, and Riz gave a dishonest smile back.

This was the worst case scenario.

***

Later that afternoon, the Paramaya’s were to catch the return ship to Ardougne. Everyone exchanged long hugs, congratulations, and farewells, promising to get together again soon while Sami and Lwazi discussed business for a bit - something involving a local fish supplier. 

Yet Riza hung back a bit from his family, staring at the ground downtrodden. After saying farewell to her aunt, T'fruti came up to him and crouched down, her eyes dewy from earlier farewells.

“Aww, Riza, you’ll make me cry looking like that," she said with a bittersweet smile.

T’fruti opened up her arms, and Riza came in to give her a hug.

“I owe you guys so much for taking me in. It’s hard for me to say goodbye," she said between a sniffles.

After pulling away, she preemptively wiped away some tears. “You take care of auntie and uncle for me, you hear?” 

Riza, pouted and slowly nodded. “Thank you for having us,” he croaked. “The wedding was beautiful.” 

T’fruti began to stand up, and Riza wiped his eyes quickly. “Wait," he said, holding his arm out.

She sighed with a warm smile and they both grasped the others’ forearms, than leaned in closely to each other's ears, holding each others shoulders.

“Strength through chaos," they whispered.

They released each other, then T'fruti rustled Riza's hair before returning to her husband.

After a half-dozen more false starts at leaving, everyone finally departed. The Paramaya’s stood along the road to the port, waving as their new family headed south.

With a sigh, Mieke's face dropped as she turned to her husband, raising her arms and breathing in to speak.

“Well, shall we get going?” Lwazi asked as he loaded up his luggage onto their cart. “The boat won’t wait forever for us.” 

Mieke tightened the deok around her hair, then lifted up her luggage beside her husband’s. “I don’t know what I was thinking, promising these things," she said. "Always with my big mouth.” 

Lwazi dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “They’re family, of course. How can we say no? All we can do is figure it out.” 

Riza scrambled up onto the back of the cart, then pulled his own luggage onto it. He found a good spot to curl up, using his skinny frame to make himself as invisible as possible. 

Lwazi raised a finger. "We're in my element, my dear wife!" he declared. “Embrace all challenges!” 

_“Zamorak bring us strength.”_ echoed in Riza's mind, finishing the quote.

Lwazi pulled on the reins of the unicorn leading the cart as they made their way to the port. The heat of the sun and the comfort of his lunch weighed heavy on Riza’s eyelids, and he fought hard to keep from dozing off during the journey. His thoughts wandered towards dreamy nonsense, occasionally jostled by the bumpy road.

They were only a few yards from the port before he started snoozing.

Once they arrived, after telling the sailors where to put the cargo, Lwazi carefully picked up his sleeping son. Riza was light for his age, and his dad was strong for his size, but Lwazi made a show of lifting and cradling his son.

“Oof, my son, you’re killing me, you’re killing your father.” he complained quietly, with a wry smile towards his wife.

Mieke kissed Riza’s forehead gently, then they all boarded the ship together.

***

Not long after sunset, Riza woke up from his nap to the gentle rocking of the boat home.

Sitting up slightly, the blanket draped over him fell aside, and its warmth was replaced with a cool blanket of evening air; a stark contrast from the aridness of the island. Looking over he saw his parents, deep in prayer, a warm orange glow emitted from their offering dish before them as a candle-like flame flickered about.

Laying back down, Riza stared up at the ceiling, figuring he was currently below deck. Taking a deep breath, he realized there was a scent in the air; something both earthen and spicy.

_They must be burning herbs with this offering_

He tried to go through the list of herbs that he knew, which amounted to a few he thought were used in cooking. Coming up empty, he quietly sighed and continued to stare ahead blankly.

He began reminiscing about the wedding, remembering the beautiful ceremony, the dancing, the music. How it was the first time being at a Rantuki camp, despite his family's village being from the south as well. How he got to see all his cousins, and met all his soon-to-be cousins, and wondered why nobody seemed to be his own age. 

He remembered meeting Kangai, who was sent to make sure the kids weren’t getting into trouble, and how relieved he felt having someone closer to his age to talk to. How Kangai confided in him, telling him how angry he was about losing the totem, how Riza accidentally fed him the notion that his parents could get it back, and how Kangai must have went to his dads, telling them to ask Riza’s parents to get the totem back.

He suddenly remembered the name of the herb being burnt by his parents. Sito foil, apparently.

He remembered the joyous lunch he got to enjoy with his cousin, only for it to be ruined by his mistake, and how his parents had to lie to their new family because of him. 

He felt his nose twitch and his brow furrowed, as a small anger grew inside him. His nostrils burnt with the spiciness in the air and the guilt in his heart.

 _In some small way,_ he thought, _no, in a big way it will be my fault that the totem will never return to them._

As Riza spiraled further into his guilt, his recollections of the past became doomsday predictions for the future. He imagined the sadness of the Mau family when his parents return empty handed, the demons of the jungle rampaging through the camp, his parents receiving a letter telling them of T’fruti’s death at the hands of the demons.

And his overactive imagination forced him to watch these scenes unfold within his mind with perfect clarity.

After a while he noticed the warm tears along the sides of his face. He looked over at his parents, worried that his fussing and crying had interrupted their offering, and was relieved when he saw them still deep in prayer.

He sniffled as silently as he could, and his nostril filled with the spiced air which burned the back of his nose. He closed his eyes and took the moment of silence to send a prayer to Zamorak before his mother could end her offering. He knew his god would never give him an answer for this problem, so instead he asked to conspire for a means to solve it together.

Mieke blew out the fire on the pan, leaving the smouldering smell of sito foil lingering in the air. A light breeze whispered through the ship, He shivered slightly, pulling his blanket back over him.

His mother’s voice echoed in his mind, recounting stories of his people overcoming adversity and challenging the status quo, and in this calm something inside him stirred. 

_This_ , he thought, _This isn’t a problem. It’s a challenge._

He pictured his father raising a finger, unconsciously mimicking the gesture as “Embrace all challenges” rang in his head.

Then a thought occurred to him. _What’s stopping me from just stealing it?_

He paused. The crew’s footsteps echoed throughout the ship. Below him, gentle waves crashed against the hull. But for Riza, filled with mounting excitement, the world became still. Like logs to a bonfire, his fire within grew exponentially.

He lowered his hand back down. _Yeah. Why don’t I just take it from him?_

 _Well, because I’ll get in trouble, obviously. There’s no way I can get away with that.”_ He thought, soberingly.

Dejected, he rolled to face the wall.

_...Although he’s never around, usually. How many times have mom and dad come calling, only to find he’s out of town? All I would have to do is wait for a day when that happens and I could break in._

The fire within him seemed to drop into his stomach, making him feel nauseous.

_Am I on to something here?_

His heart began to race as his mind flashed with images of how he’d pull off this heist. He envisioned possible entrances, escape routes, and potential pitfalls. A few times he even caught himself whispering lines he was practicing aloud. He imagined he would use those suave lines to bamboozle guards if he was caught. 

After he acquired the totem, he planned to escape north to Catherby, where he would ride a ship to Karamja and deliver it to the Rantuki tribe. He would then lay low with his family until he heard from back home that no-one was looking for him. Everything would be flawless.

By the time he's finally satisfied with his plan, it's already past midnight. The herbal scent in the air had wisped away, and the world resumed its activities. His inner fire finally spent, Riza felt his eyelids grow heavy with drowsiness. 

_I’m going to do it,_ he sleepily promised himself, _I’m going to break into Handelmort’s mansion._


	2. Chapter 2

And so he broke into Handlemort's manor.

Nearly a week after his resolution, Riza stood before a safe in the master bedroom. He took a deep breath as he considered the totem he held in his hand, then exhaled with a stuttering laugh, scarcely believing his eyes. His thoughts, matching his heart in speed, were a cacophony of celebrations. 

_I did it,_ he thought, _I- There’s no way this can be real._

Dumbfounded, he stood with his shoes sunk deep into the woolen carpet, basking in this moment of victory. The afternoon sun peeked through some colorful curtains into the still, dimly lit bedroom, illuminating the dust dancing through the room. 

Suddenly he was snapped out of his reverie by sounds of barking in the distance. His face shot up, wide-eyed, sending ripples through the musty air.

_Shit, that’s right, the dogs!_

The moment of calm passed, Riza stirred himself into action. He gave himself a quick pat down, frantically trying to decide where to hide the totem. 

Finding nothing, he quietly groaned in frustration. _Dammit, I shoulda brought something to carry it in! What was I thinking!?_

His eyes darted across the room, looking for something he could use. Seeing a towel on a boudoir next to him, he started to reach for it. 

_No, you idiot, don’t take something else, he’ll notice!_ He reprimanded himself as he pulled his hand back. _Or… Maybe it’ll be ok? Er... no, wait, it won’t._

Overwhelmed by options, and deafened by the sound of dogs outside, he decided to make a run for it. He took two steps towards the bedroom door before stopping in his tracks. 

_Wait, the safe!_

He turned around again and closed the safe, giving the combination dial a few quick turns before turning again to run out of the room.

On the way out he closed the bedroom door behind him, pausing to look over the circle of symbols drawn on its surface. He picked up the chalk he had left on a nearby table and held it up to a blank space in the circle. 

_The symbol was like… Two F’s. I think?_

He drew his best approximation in the blank space and the circle began to glow with a hum. Satisfied, he pocketed the chalk and continued

With hurried steps, Riza made his way back through the mansion; left down the hall, right at the junction to the stairs. By now, he knew he didn't need to stay quiet as the mansion was completely devoid of staff. As far as he could tell, there weren't even any other bedrooms upstairs, either - most of them had been converted into personal galleries. 

However, a seed of worry suddenly sprouted deep within Riza, and his hurried steps slowed to a stop. 

_This was way too easy._

_Well, no, not easy, but it’s been so much simpler then I thought it would be._

He hesitantly started moving again. His hurried run now a brisk jog through the halls.

_What is this? What am I feeling right now?_

_What am I doing here!?_

_If I leave even one clue that I was here, if I did one thing wrong, then everything in my life would be ruined. My mom and dad would be devastated... and it’d be all my fault!_

A surge of fear rushed through his body, making him stumble with dizziness. His thoughts were racing faster and faster, eventually became a white noise in his head. 

Finally the reality of what he was doing had caught up to him, and he slowed to a stop. Staring at the ground, the cold emptiness of how alone he was chilled him to the bone. The ringing made his head ache, and he closed his eyes in pain.

Riza pinched the bridge of his nose and desperately tried to center himself again.

_If you’re going to panic, do it when you’re out of here._

His sealed shut eyes started to burn as they filled with scared tears.

_Right now, I... I’m in my element._

It was a shaky start, but he felt his arms begin to relax. He huffed with frustration, then opened his eyes. A warm stream trickled down his cheeks.

 _This wasn’t easy. This was a challenge_ he thought with a quick sniffle, _I embraced this challenge, and I’m going to win!_

He gave his cheeks and nose a quick rub with his arm, than after a few deep breaths, he continued.

_Nothing is going to happen, because I’m going to get myself through this._

He repeated that line a few times in his head, composing himself. 

_Okay… You can do this. Just... stick to the plan, and stay focused._

He snatched the totem and started running again. Rattled, but determined, he knew as long as he had his escape plan, everything would work out.

_Just get to the living room and back to that teleport thingy. Easy._

Upon reaching the stairs, Riza slowed down to descend the steps with precision; Handelmort had set panel traps on certain steps.

_Imagine if I hadn't found that trap log... This place is more secure than a bank vault!_

There were more windows down on the ground floor, a stark contrast from the dimly-lit upstairs, though this only served to illuminate the curtains of dust softly floating about. After getting halfway down the stairs, Riza saw his exit - a small package sitting next to the front door with the rest of the day’s mail.

Unfortunately, Riza also saw a whole pack of guard dogs clamouring on the other side of the front door’s windows.

He gave the room a quick once over, then sighed with relief.

 _Okay, so no-one's come in to check on anything yet_ . _All I have to do is get to the device thingy and use it to teleport back out. That’ll be easy._

He took a deep breath. 

_This is it, just one last step. Just stay focused._

Riza jumped over the last two steps, beginning a final, undignified sprint to the packaged device. He slipped slightly while passing over a tile in front of the kitchen, but at this point he was using his momentum to carry himself to this target.

He fell to his knees and slid into the package, the dogs outside growing even more agitated at the presence of someone right in front of them. He frantically tore the package open and took out the device.

It was an orb of some kind made of glass, or maybe crystal. It was slightly opaque, almost pearl-like in color. It emitted a tiny, humming vibration and didn’t seem to reflect light that well.

Riza stared blankly, wide-eyed, and his heart started to beat faster. Without thinking, he tried rubbing it. Nothing happened. He rubbed it again. Still nothing. 

_I…What…? How do I use this thing?_

He desperately tried to recall what the wizard had told him, but was hindered by the dogs barking in his ear.

Then suddenly he remembered, and his heart sank to the floor. That wizard, during his long, droning explanation, had said that the teleport was a one-way trip. It was something Riza had heard, but didn’t quite register until this exact moment when it was painfully relevant.

The sounds of the dogs vanished, leaving a slight ringing in his ear. _This is it,_ he thought, crestfallen. _I’m… trapped._

He tried to consider his next move before a voice outside snapped him back to reality. 

“Oh!.... An adventurer, right?” someone else outside responded.

Riza realized that some of the dogs had left the window, letting the faint voices from outside reach his ears. He stood up, put his head against the door, and tried to listen.

The first voice answered, but he could only hear it as mumbling. Perhaps it was a woman’s?

"Yeah, I recognize you. You’re that one from the Legends Guild, right?” Riza recognized that voice as that of the mansion’s gardener.

“That I am. What seems…” said the womans’ voice, a bit closer this time.

“Well, the dogs keep…And, well, I’m not allowed in the mansi…” The barking obscured what he said, but Riza got the gist.

“You want me to check it for burglars, then, I take it?”

“That’d be helpful, ma’am. Lord Handelmort’d be right cross with me if I let something get stolen while he was away.” 

Riza realized the gardener’s voice was getting closer.

“I would think Lord Handelmort wouldn’t be too pleased about being billed by an adventurer, either. Especially one who poked around his house.”

“Ah, er… Uhm, n-no, that he wouldn’t.”

“Though I guess since you’re asking me, he probably doesn’t want the guards to look inside either, does he?”

The gardner cleared his throat before saying “L-look, I can pay your, er, fee, adventurer. Er, how much would it be, again?”

There was a pause between the two. Riza, filled with morbid curiosity, peeked out the window at them.

The gardener was standing at the base of the porch. He was speaking to an older woman with long, grey hair, who Riza couldn’t get a good look as the gardener was standing directly in front of her.

“Alright, Horacio, how about this," the woman continued, placing a hand on her hip. "I’ll take a look inside, and if there’s nothing amiss, then I’m just a concerned citizen passing by.”

The gardener leaned to one side, giving Riza a view of the lady’s face. Her expression was locked in an inscrutable smirk. Her eyes showed an intense knowing that came with years of experience. Riza was so preoccupied with trying to read her face that he almost missed her glancing in his direction. He quickly darted back behind the door.

“So… you’ll only charge money if you see someone?” Horacio asked.

The woman paused before speaking. “I’ll charge you if I get into a fight. That’s only fair, right?”

The gardener sighed loudly and said “Ach, I suppose it is. Here’re the keys to the house. I’ll get to feeding the dogs so they stop, er, hounding you.”

Riza heard the sound of a bell chiming as the dogs dispersed from the door. With only moments to spare, he scanned his surroundings for a hiding place. 

_Behind the couch? No. The washroom? No, she might hear me close a door. Maybe…_

He looked at the staircase. There were a few boxes and chests underneath, but there was a gap just large enough for him to fit inside. He dashed towards it, doubling back to grab the package on the floor. 

The woman’s footsteps could be heard coming up the porch.

He reached the hidey hole before he realized from this distance that it may be a tight squeeze to get in. 

_Shit, shit, shit I don’t have time!_

The lock on the door jiggled, so Riza shot an arm and a leg through the gap. 

The lock jiggled again as the woman put another key in. By now Riza had gotten his head and torso in before realizing he needed to twist to get his other leg in. 

The lock jiggled once more. Riza tripped a bit while turning and banged his elbow into the support for the stairs. The panels above him rattled, and his arm throbbed with pain as he bit his lip to stay quiet.

The door opened. Out of time, Riza pulled his leg in as quickly as he could. His shoe got caught and fell off onto the floor. 

_Dammit!_

Since he had climbed over a box to get here, he would have to stick his arm out to grab his shoe. Luckily it was behind the corner of a larger box, so whether or not the woman would see it was up to fate.

From his hidey hole, he could barely see into the living room. With silent heavy breaths he watched the woman enter the house. Her distinctive purple tunic was easy to pick out over the dull colors of the mansion’s furniture. She stood at the entrance for a few moments and scanned the area slowly. In the perfect stillness, Riza worried maybe his heartbeat would be loud enough for her to hear.

She started her search through the living room. Despite her heavy boots, her steps were silent as she made her way around. Her presence was so muffled, when she walked behind furniture it almost seemed like she was gliding. Her eyes seemed to dart subtly as they scanned everything in front of her. 

_If she wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t even hear her coming._ Riza thought morbidly.

In the air, Riza smelled something sickly sweet. Distracted, he tried to place the smell. 

_Is that… Honey?_

He tried to recall if Handelmort kept any beehives and came up blank. 

_Wait, focus! Stay focused!_

He peered out the gap again and saw the woman had disappeared. 

His heart sank to his stomach again and the hairs on his neck stood up straight.

 _Where did she go!?_

Riza tried to listen for her, but heard nothing. _Dammit, you idiot, how could you take your eyes off her!?_ he scolded himself. His breath got heavier as his nerves overtook him. 

_She’s not… behind me… is she...?_

Wide eyed, he began to imagine what he could possibly do if she was peering into the hidey hole behind him. 

_If she grabbed for me, maybe I could attack first? Jump out at her or break her arm? Or, wait, what if she just leaves to go get the guard? Then I could run out and tackle her._

Lost in his panic, he ignored the fact that he was both much shorter and much weaker than her.

He steeled himself for the next step, and slowly turned around—

—and didn't see her.

_What…? Where is she, then?_

He turned back to the small gap and saw her walking in his direction. He did his best to suppress a squeal. He realized now that she must have turned the corner to check the kitchen, or something. He watched nervously as she walked past the stairs, going to check the lounge or the washroom beyond. Riza turned around slowly again to watch her.

The woman peered around the corner past the stairs. With an exasperated sigh she walked around the corner into the lounge. 

_Now’s my chance! I can run out of the mansion while she’s around the corner and the dogs are being fed!_

He felt his legs twitching with anticipation. 

_Wait, wait, no, she’ll hear me running and come after me. And the dogs could probably outrun me, too._

He tried to keep his legs from jittering. _Dammit, I hate waiting like this._

He saw the woman round the corner and head back towards the stairs. 

_Maybe she’ll miss the traps, and accidentally trigger them._ He thought, wishfully.

_But wait, the stair trap makes you fall into the sewers. Would I fall down with her?_

The woman paused at the base of the stairs. “The paranoid bastard really doesn’t trust anyone, does he?” She muttered before stepping around the traps. 

Riza sighed with relief, he decided it was better she climbed the stairs safely rather than him having to run from her in the sewers. He contemplated escaping again while was upstairs, since she couldn’t easily run back down.

He leaned his head back and sighed. _But the dogs. Those stupid, stupid dogs._

He looked at the teleport device sitting on his lap. _And this stupid, stupid orb. I can’t believe I forgot how this thing worked!_

_Well... Since I have the time, I might as well try to figure something out..._

_I can’t trigger the trap to get into the sewers, since it was enchanted. Maybe I could go out a back window? Except I don’t think they open, so I’d have to break one._

Riza thought he heard the woman laughing upstairs. _She's... laughing? That’s probably not great._

His stomach grumbled slightly. _That honey smell's making me hungry. Can she just hurry up and leave!?_

He closed his eyes in thought. _Maybe… You know, this guy’s rich, and he has a bunch of enchanted things. I wonder if he has any of that fancy jewelry people use to teleport._

_Hmm... I wouldn’t know the first place to look to find some in here, though. Maybe one of the galleries upstairs?_

He opened his eyes to see the woman’s shadow moving down the stairs above him. _How does she move so silently!?_

He turned around again and watched her heading towards the door. 

_Finally!_

The woman stopped in front of a drawer next to the door. She opened a box sitting on the top of it between two plants and rummaged around it a bit. With a “ _hrm_ ” of acknowledgement, she partially closed the box and continued to the door. 

“Hey, Horacio!” She called, leaning against the open door frame. 

_Dammit, just leave!_

Riza heard the gardener yell back, but couldn’t quite make out what he said.

“Nope, didn’t see a soul," the woman replied. "Nothing seemed out of place, really.”

“Really?" the gardener asked. "You’re sure you didn’t find nothing?”

The woman shrugged. “Sure as I can be. All of Handelmort’s exhibits upstairs are coated in a layer of dust, and the wards on his bedroom are still intact.” She pointed at the table next to the door. “Even the teleportation jewelry is still arranged properly.” 

Riza’s eyes widened with excitement.

“Well that’s a strange one," the gardener said. "I wonder why the dogs are still having a fit.”

The woman shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe they can hear something we can’t?” She stood up straight. “If you want to make sure, you should just let them loose in the mansion.”

As she said that, she walked out of the mansion, closing the door partially behind her.

In a panicked rush with the totem in hand, Riza kicked the box in front of his hidey hole out of the way. After scrambling out, he pushed the box back, leaving the teleport focus under the stairs. He grabbed his shoe and made a mad dash towards the door. His mind filled with a thousand thoughts that drowned each other out, his ears filled with the barking of a herd of dogs heading towards the front door.

Riza heard the gardener whistle as he slid to a stop in front of the drawer. He opened up the jewelry box and saw a few necklaces and rings set with different gems. 

_Dammit, I don’t know which one goes where!_

The sound of the dogs rushing grew closer and closer.

Riza grabbed a necklace set with a purple gem at random. 

_C’mon, c’mon, you just have to rub these things, right?_

He rubbed the gem furiously, having never used one personally he didn’t know exactly how to activate it.

In that moment, the door swung open with the first two dogs. They skidded to a stop, turning towards Riza.

Meanwhile, within Riza’s mind he could see a flash of a few places he didn’t recognize. A giant mine shaft in the middle of a city. A large building with a windmill attachment, a set of portals high up on a tower, a farmhouse with a large tree growing out of it.

The dogs pounced at Riza, who fell back in terror. 

_Wait, no, that’s Granny’s farm!_ was his last thought before everything went white.


	3. Chapter 3

“Are you okay, my little ham sandwich?” asked the kindly old lady hovering over Riza.

Mere moments ago he was on his back on a woolen carpet, inches away from the snarling maw of a guard dog. Now he was sprawled outside on dirt, and the slobbering mop of a hound in his face was a lot less vicious.

Riza scrambled backwards. A sharp ringing echoed his ears and the world was blurry. His panicked eyes darted around, trying to get his bearings. 

_I… Outside. I’m outside. I’m…_

He looked to his left, and saw a brown cow chewing cud and staring right back at him behind one of many fenced pens. A short distance away was a large farmhouse with a tree growing out of it — the same one that flashed through his mind a moment ago.

He looked up at the old lady. He knew her as Granny Potterington, a kindly old farmer who operated just outside Ardougne. She was looking down her glasses at him, looking more worried than confused at his sudden appearance. The dog walked back towards him, panting happily. Riza instinctively scratched its head.

Granny Potterington dottered closer to Riza. “Deary? Are you alright?”

He looked up at her, wide eyed, and suddenly all his panic dropped into his stomach at once. 

“Um... G-Granny? Where— ” was all he was able to say, before his eyes glossed over, and he turned around to puke. 

“Oh, deary!” Granny cried. She went to bend down to help him, but hesitated after a dull pop came from her hip.

Riza coughed a bit. His throat burned and his head hurt from exhaustion. He looked up at her outstretched hand, then down at his own. He saw the totem and his shoe in his right hand, and a purple necklace in the other. His left thumb was bleeding from a cut on it.

Suddenly, Riza remembered his mission. “G-Granny! I- I need to get to Catherby!” He yelled as he got onto his knees.

Granny tilted her head with confusion. “Calm down, deary. Catherby? Why do you need to go there?”

Riza was taken aback. _I... what? I didn't expect her to ask!_

_W_ _hat do I tell her? That I’m on the run for STEALING?_

“I, uh, n-no reason!" Riza said incredibly smoothly. "I-I just, uh, need to.”

Granny’s helping hand turned into a scolding finger wag. “Now, now, stringbean, you can’t just show up out of the blue in a tizzy and expect me not to worry!”

Riza deflated. _Yeah, I guess not._

Granny offered her hand again, and this time Riza took it to stand up.

“Um... I’m sorry, Granny, but, uh, I don’t have time to—”

“Now, now. Come along my little grapefruit, let’s get you cleaned up." Granny said, turning around. "You can tell Granny all about what’s troubling you.”

She beckoned with her cane and hobbled to the farmhouse behind her. Sam, the dog, barked once happily and trotted off somewhere as well. 

Shellshocked, Riza knew it would be impossible to argue. He gave a quick, paranoid glance behind him. No one seemed to be after him, at least for now.

 _Did I... scream before I left?_ he wondered. _Did they see the dogs pounce at me?_

He felt a slight throb of pain from his thumb. He looked at the necklace in his hand. It was stained with a bit of his blood.

_I must’ve cut my thumb on the gem… Guess I was supposed to’ve rubbed the flat part. That makes sense._

He sighed, and looked back at the cow next to him. The cow gazed unflinchingly back.

_... Granny’s going to ask about what I was doing. I wonder if she would tell my parents what I did?_

Granny’s voice warbled from inside the farmhouse. “Deary! Are you coming?”

The cow mooed at Riza with almost humanlike cadence, and he shot an annoyed look at her. 

“Alright, I heard her, I’m going! Gods.” 

The cow walked away, bobbing its head and rolling its eyes. Riza raised his arms incredulously as he started walking to the farmhouse, grumbling to himself.

 _I’m not going to stand here and get attitude from a cow_.

Riza slipped his shoe back on and made his way to the farmhouse. As he approached the door, the smell of warm sugar and cinnamon hit him, and he froze up. This was the telltale sign that Granny laid out a baked pastry on the kitchen table.

_No, that’s not just any baked pastry. That’s Granny’s (In)famous Cinnamon Apple Pie. Winner of county fairs. The King’s dessert._

He knew that, if he entered the farmhouse now, he wouldn’t be able to leave for at least two hours. Two precious hours that could be used to escape to Catherby. Two precious hours that the Ardougne guards could have tracked him to Granny’s farm. 

There was no way he could enter this house now.

He stared at the doorknob in front of him. His heart started to race again over the decision he had to make..

 _What if I just leave, if I head north right now,_ he speculated in a panic. _I just don’t even touch the doorknob, I just turn around and leave._

Riza’s eyes darted around in thought.

_Wait, no she must have heard me walking on the porch. No, wait, she’s old. Maybe she didn’t hear?_

_Arrgh... but I can’t just leave like that! That’d be so rude!_

Silencing the cacophony, Riza took a moment to weigh his options. Right now, he was hungry, tired, and bleeding. Granny had food, medicine, and bandages. She could also lend him some money for a room in Catherby. Two hours was a small price to pay to ensure a safe trip.

Riza looked at the doorknob and sighed.

_Dammit, if you’re going to do it, then do it._

He stuffed as much determination as he could fit into his small frame and opened the door.

Inside was Granny’s cozy, warmly lit cottage. Due to her old age, many of her living amenities were moved to the ground floor. The room was divided into corners, with her bed in one, her kitchen set in another, a few comfy chairs in the third, and cupboards and dressers in the last. In the middle of the room was a dining table, with a piping hot apple pie sitting squarely in the center. The room was warmly lit from the nearby fireplace, and warmly scented from the pie.

The only thing Riza couldn’t see was Granny. He assumed she was upstairs rather than right behind him. 

Riza walked up to the table. There it was. Granny’s (In)famous Cinnamon Apple Pie. The caramelized apples poking out of the golden crust and the honeyed sweetness emanating from the pastry made Riza’s mouth flood with anticipation. Granny had left a set of cutlery and a plate to serve himself.

Sighing, he set down the totem on the table.

He went over to the sink to wash off his hands. He also took the time to wash the amulet, using a cloth to scrub it so that he didn’t accidentally activate the enchantment.

 _What a mess,_ he thought as the bloodied water washed down the drain. _What an absolute mess I’ve made._

He squeezed his thumb with his other hand and went back to the table. Before he could sit down, a sharp whistling came from the fireplace. Granny’s shadow and steady footsteps started descending from the top of the stairs.

“Deary, could you get that?" she asked. "Curse these old bones of mine.”

Riza’s face dropped.

 _Gods, it never ends around here._ He thought as he went to get the hook for the kettle. 

While using one hand to apply pressure to his thumb, he grabbed the hook with his other. His arm quivered trying to hold the kettle up as it was heavier than he thought it would be. Luckily Granny arrived downstairs and took over.

“Oh, thank Saradomin you were here.” She said as she went to pour water into the pot. 

Riza finally sat down and started squeezing his thumb again. Granny brought over the pot and a few cups and set them on the table. 

“Though I guess you’re not thanking him, are you, my little chaos cookie?” She chuckled mischievously, pouring herself a cup. 

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Riza said distractedly. “Um, you don’t have to do this, Granny. I’m really in a hur— ”

She filled a cup for Riza and set it in front of him.

 _Start the timer, I guess,_ he grumbled to himself.

Granny brought the pot back to the sink. She poured some of the kettle water into a bowl and brought it over to the table with the bandages she grabbed from upstairs.

“Now let me look at that cut of yours," she said, walking over to him. “And while I do, why don’t you tell Granny what’s wrong.”

Riza's fingers twitched with defiant silence. Granny sat next to him and quickly upended a vial of medicine onto the cloth.

“Let me see your thumb, deary,” she repeated.

Riza hesitated, as if giving her his thumb would reveal all his secrets. Looking away with a pout, he silently offered it up to her.

“Ow…” he complained under his breath as the medicine stung his cut. 

Granny wrapped up his thumb tightly in a bandage before releasing it, and Riza quickly folded his arms and curled up into himself. Granny lowered her head down into his view and looked up at him sadly.

“You don’t want to tell me?” she asked with a frown.

Riza curled up even tighter.

“Oh, well… I guess he won’t tell me.” she sighed to no-one.

Granny stood up, washing her hand with the clean part of the cloth. Despondently she brought the bowl and towel over to the sink. On her way there she pushed the pie closer to Riza with her cane.

 _You’re not being subtle!_ he fumed.

The comforting smell of cinnamon apples wafted into Riza's nose. This wasn’t fair. This was her bargaining chip. Her flaky, crispy, delicious bargaining chip. He knew the price of this pie, and it was information. 

His brow furrowed. It was too late to run. He was stuck in Granny’s sweet, syrupy trap. The temptation of this pie was greater than all the riches within Ardougne castle. 

There was only one thing in this entire world that would sate Riza’s hunger in this moment, and it was right in front of him. He just had to reach out and cut himself a sli-

The pie was hooked by a cane and slid out of his reach. Granny sat across from him staring.

She was serious.

Thoroughly intimidated, Riza sunk in his seat more, his eyes locked with hers. With his back against the wall, Riza tried one last desperate move.

“Um... G-granny, may I… uh, please have a slice of pie?” He gave her the most pathetic baby-doll eyes he could muster.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” she asked.

She was unfazed. She didn’t raise two sons to adulthood to be moved by this child in front of her. 

_This is it. No escape, no more options. The only thing left to do is tell her the truth._

Riza shuddered. “A-are you…” He choked. “Are you going to tell my parents?”

Riza instinctively winced, bracing for her answer. He couldn’t believe himself. It wasn’t the dogs that almost tore him to shreds, or the hiding from a scary adventurer lady. It wasn’t finding and avoiding every trap in the mansion, or the ever-present specter of the Ardougne guards arresting him. His biggest concern at this moment was his parents being upset at him if they found out what he had done. 

And he gave that feeling away for a slice of apple pie.

Riza closed his eyes and sighed. _Gods, how pathetic can I be?_

Granny slid the apple pie back in front of Riza.

“No, my little turnip, I won’t tell your parents," she said with a warm smile. "Now tell Granny what’s the matter.”

And so the floodgates opened. Riza confessed to asking around about teleportation spells, and finding out about a local inventor wizard who was making a teleport focus. He told her about how he offered to deliver it to the post office, so it would be sent to the Mages Guild down south, instead mailing it to Handelmort mansion. He told her about going with his parents for their house call and finding out Handelmort was out of town for the next three days.

The pie before him shrunk by half as he spoke. The syrupy filling and flaky crust melted in his mouth. While the pie’s outside was now lukewarm, its molten innards gave him the energy he needed to continue.

He explained how he teleported into the house, and all the events that happened within. Granny listened intently, her gaze only interrupted by occasional sips of tea. As Riza went on, he became more comfortable with telling the story. His hesitant stammering became a proud recounting of his tale.

“And that’s… How I ended up here,” he finished, one hour later. “It’s… I can’t believe everything that's happened until now.”

Granny hummed and nodded in agreement. Riza watched her pick up her tea as she considered her next words. It was only then that he realized how much he had told her.

“Y-you’re not going to report me to... to the guard, are you Granny?” he asked.

He waited as she put down her cup and cleared her throat. She waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, heavens no. Granny’s not a sellout, deary.”

Riza exhaled with relief, letting out a nervous chuckle. “Th-thank the gods…” he said under his breath.

Granny picked up the totem and looked it over. “But that is a spot of trouble, isn’t it," she said. "Do you have a plan to get to Karamja?”

“I was going to catch a boat from Catherby," Riza explained. "We… My family can ride for free to and from Karamja.”

Granny scrunched her brow. “Why not just go from here?”

Riza shrugged. “I… I dunno, I just don’t wanna to risk getting caught at port.” 

Her head bobbed side to side.“You have a point…” She eyed the necklace that Riza had set it down after fidgeting with it during his story. “You’re very lucky you found that guild’s necklace.”

_Oh, is that what that’s called? Why did it teleport me here?_

Riza looked down at the necklace as well. “Y-yeah. Honestly, I think I just grabbed the first one on top. It all happened so fast…”

Granny looked over at her window. “Were you thinking of going today?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a bit after noon," she noted. "Three after, if I had to guess. “

Riza was stunned - he left his house an hour before noon. This whirlwind of a day took a whole four hours.

“If you left now,” she continued, “it’d be too late to find a room in Catherby. It’ll be sunset by the time you reach Seers, though.”

She looked back at him. “I can get you on a cart there. One of my buyers will be heading up that way.” She smiled warmly. “And I can give you some money for the room, too. Does that sound good to you, sugar plum?”

Riza's chest tightened as guilt suddenly overtook him. “N… You don’t have to give me money, Granny. I-I can pay for it myself.”

She gave him a serious expression. “Are you sure? It’s no trouble.”

Riza nodded furiously. “Y-yeah. I’m sure.”

Granny shrugged. “Well, alright then. If you say so, deary.”

She stood up to take some of the dishes away, only for Riza to stand up too.

“Ah, I can wash those, Granny!” he proclaimed. “I… I’d feel bad making you do that now.”

Granny smiled warmly and brought the dishes over to the sink for him to wash. Despite his protests, she ended up helping him dry and put the dishes away anyway. 

After everything was cleaned up, the buyers arrived at the farm. Granny let them know she would be out in a minute, then turned to Riza.

“Do you know how to write a letter?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah. N-not well, though,” he responded sheepishly.

“Well, why don’t you write your parents a letter, letting them know you’re going to see your family on Karamja." she suggested. "It won’t do to make them worry, my little pumpkin patch.”

Without waiting for an answer, she hurriedly hobbled her way outside. 

Riza was finally alone in the farmhouse. He felt… refreshed. Amazing, even. Everything so far was suddenly going smoothly. His belly was full and he had a safe ride to Seers Village. It was almost vindicating how well everything had gone.

_Yeah… A letter’s probably not a bad idea._

***

Riza stepped out of the farmhouse, his folded letter and the totem in hand. Granny was just finishing up with some of the buyers, who were loading up produce onto their unicorn-drawn carts. He looked down at the missive he was holding.

_I guess this took me longer than I thought._

Sam came bounding up, wagging his fluffy tail. He sat down, panting heavily. Riza crouched down to scratch behind his ears. “You all done today, Sam? You've been a busy guy?” he cooed at the exhausted pup.

Sam’s panting paused for a moment as he gulped. He then laid down and promptly rolled onto his side to lounge in the shade. Riza left his hardworking friend to his rest and walked towards Granny.

The lady Granny was talking to was sitting up on her cart. She was short, barely taller than Riza, with frazzled brown hair and a freckled face. As Riza approached, she gave him a once over, then looked back at Granny and pointed at him, her deep overbite giving her a curious expression.

“Is that him, ma’am?” she asked, her voice much more powerful then Riza expected.

Granny tried to turn her head to look, but got stuck mid-motion, so she shifted her whole body around to face him.

“Ah, yes!”

She waddled over to Riza and took his wrist, gently leading him over to the cart. “Deary, this is Maddie. She’s a farmhand from Gibbins Farm over in Hemenster.”

Riza glanced at Granny. “But I thought— ” 

Granny interrupted him. “She’s making a delivery to the tavern in Seers, you see. She’ll be the one to give you a ride up north.”

Maddie gave him a giant smile and lifted her hand in a quick wave. “Hey there, kiddo. Nice to meet you.”

Bobbing his head once in acknowledgement, Riza stuck out his hand. “Hello, It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Riza.”

Maddie looked blankly at his hand for a moment before reaching out to grab it. Instead of shaking, as he expected, she started pulling. She was very strong, and Riza, unsure about what was happening, slammed face first into the cart. He dropped the letter and the totem on impact.

Maddie let go and cupped her hands in front of her face. “Oh!” she gasped.” Sorry, sweetie! I-I thought you needed help up!” 

Granny stepped towards Riza as he staggered back a bit, holding his nose.

“Are you bleeding, deary?” she asked.

Riza moved his hands away from his nose. They were dry. “N-no, I’m fine.”

Granny sighed with relief. 

Maddie waved her hands about. “I-I really apologize, I-”

As Riza picked up his things, he put up a hand to indicate he was fine. “It’s okay. I didn’t realize…”

Not wanting to offend Maddie, he trailed off and offered his hand again. She pulled him up onto the cart, and he took the seat next to her. Granny hobbled up next to the cart.

“Did you write that letter?” Granny asked.

Riza handed it to Granny with pride, who gave it a quick glance.

“Your handwriting is atrocious, deary,” she said with a frown.

Riza’s face dropped. “Th-that doesn’t matter! It’s the thought that counts!”

Granny and Maddie chuckled. Mildly embarrassed, Riza crossed his arms and slouched in his seat. After a quick sigh, he turned his head partially towards Granny.

“Thank you, Granny, for doing this," he said.

With a crack of the reins, the cart started its journey up north. Riza spun around in his seat to wave good-bye.

“I’ll pay you back when I come home!” he shouted. 

Granny just slowly waved back before hobbling her way back to the farmhouse. Sam perked up and bounded happily over to her.

Riza shifted slightly in his seat and saw Ardougne's cityscape slowly fading into shadows on the horizon. From this distance, he couldn’t hear the bustle of the market, the babbling brooks snaking their way through town, or the chatter of the townsfolk gossiping.

He wouldn’t hear those familiar sounds for a while. Nor would he see the familiar faces of his house, his parents, and his friends. The towering walls of West Ardougne; the snobbish nobles looking down their noses; the adventurers who frequented his parents' shop. Everything was fading from view.

_Maybe I should’ve written a letter for Kyle and Malone too. They’ll probably wonder where I am. Unless Granny tells them next time they see her._

He sighed quietly.

_Why do I feel so sad? I’ve left town before, and I know I’ll be back soon._

“I wouldn’t recommend staying like that, kiddo." Maddie called over the noise of the cart.. "The road gets nasty with bumps the further out from the city you get.”

Riza stared at his home shrinking in the distance for a moment longer.

_Mom, Dad… maybe you won’t be proud of what I’ve done, but I know you’ll understand when it’s over._

He turned around and sat properly in his seat.

_I’ll see you soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for assistance in editing!


	4. Chapter 4

“So… You’re Karamjan, right? What brings you to Kandarin?” Maddie shouted over the rattling of the cart.

Riza was jostled out of his thoughts, and tried to get his bearings again. They hadn’t made it that far out from the farm; they were just now passing by the goblin settlement north of the city. Soon they would be passing by the Fishing Guild, and the southern edge of Lake Hemenster.

Maddie glanced over, waiting for his response.

“I uh… I’m from here. My parents own a shop at the marketplace,” he called back.

She raised her eyebrows in acknowledgment. “Ohhh, you don’t say,” she remarked.

They waved at a pair of fishers walking towards Ardougne. 

"You ever been?" she asked. "To Karamja, that is.”

“Yeah. We, uh, go to visit a lot," Riza explained. "We actually just got back from a wedding.”

“A wedding!” she exclaimed with an open smile, “I love a wedding.”

Maddie sighed dreamily, then turned to Riza with a laugh. “Not yours, I hope.”

“Uh, no. My cousin’s. She married into another tribe.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

Riza was excited to answer questions about Karamjan culture, but unfortunately, Maddie never asked. 

The iron fence surrounding the Fishing Guild came up on their left. Inside, a man with a high ponytail and beard pulled his fishing rod high, yanking a large fish out of the lake. It hung in mid-air for a moment, surrounded by water droplets that shimmered in the sun. Some spectators sitting on the hill behind him clapped and cheered. Maddie put one hand up to her mouth to direct a loud holler of congratulations.

“Um... what about you?” Riza asked, “You’re from Hemenster?”

Maddie nodded once with a smile. “Born and raised. My grandpa raises chickens and such, and I help him.”

“Chickens?”

“Yeah. The land isn’t much good for anything bigger.”

She noticed Riza squinting at her in confusion. “What?” 

“What does Granny sell you, then?" Riza asked. "She also raises animals.”

“Oh, well, the guild gets a discount on buying feed, so she orders extra that I can buy from her for cheaper. Most farmers I know, at least, buy from her for cheap.”

Past the Fishing Guild, the road curved closer to the bank of Lake Hemenster. Riza could see their reflections in the clear water, occasionally broken by the fleeting shadows of critters beneath the surface. Some amateur fishers sat next to the lake, lazily chatting while waiting for a bite. A saltwater breeze whipped some grass through the air, along with the scent of wildflowers.

The wind also picked up the hat of an older gentleman sitting up ahead. A little girl who was with him sprung up and tried to run after it. Maddie spurred on the unicorns and the cart sped down the road towards the runaway cap. Riza reached out as far as he could, and though he nearly fell off of the cart, he managed to catch it before it blew past. Maddie brought the unicorns to a halt near the grateful grandchild, and Riza handed over the hat. Waving goodbye, they continued their journey north.

“Gosh, we’re making great time. I’m betting we’ll get there before sunset now,” Maddie proclaimed confidently. “What’s your plan after?”

“Gonna see if they’ll let me rent a room at the inn. I’m not sure if they’ll, you know, rent one to a kid, but…”

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t. And even if they don’t, I’m sure you could find someone who’ll put you up for the night. Seers’ is a nice place.”

Riza didn’t have a response to that, and Maddie glanced at him again.

They rode in silence for a bit, though Maddie occasionally hummed a song to herself. As the path snaked around a hill they could see the fishing village of Hemenster far off in the distance. Single floor wooden cottages acted as a foreground to a dense forest, casting a full reflection in the water. On the outskirts of the village, the massive towers of the Ranging Guild were the only thing visible against the otherwise uniform skyline.

Riza brought a hand up to his chin.

_I’m surprised Maddie’s from there. I thought only old people were allowed to live there._

His eyes narrowed.

_I wonder if Malone was lying about that?_

“So you help your parents with their shop?” Maddie asked in another attempt to keep the conversation going.

“Um, Sometimes. They uh… My mom doesn’t like how kids are put to work at my age.”

Maddie’s jaw dropped. “How old are you? 10?”

“12.” 

“Wowee, your mom has some pretty-” She stopped, choosing her next words carefully, “Wild ideas.”

_Yes, so I’ve heard._

“But if my parents need something done, I’ll run errands for them,” Riza explained, before pointing southward. “My friends and I also help out Granny from time to time. Ever since, y’know, her sons left.”

“Oh yeah, I think I’ve seen your friends around the guild before," Maddie said, pointing at Riza. "There’s that one little girl with the really dark black hair, right?”

“That’s, er, Kyle, yeah. Uh, hey, you keep calling Granny's farm a guild?”

Maddie looked at Riza incredulously. “Well, yeah, of course I do.”

A pause hung in the air before she laughed and continued. “Now hold on a minute. You’re telling me you never knew you were working at the Farming Guild?”

“I… What?” Riza stared at Maddie as her face lit up brightly with mirth.

 _Dammit, Kyle!_ he fumed, exasperated and embarrassed. He closed his eyes as he rubbed his temple.

“I- No, my friend just told me she was an old lady who needed help.”

Riza sat there mortified as Maddie laughed heartily for a while. It got to the point where he was worried she’d laugh all the way through Hemenster.

“Hoo... Well, in all fairness, the guild’s been going through some rough times ever since her husband passed. There's not that much activity these days." Maddie said as she calmed down. "If anything, you kids have probably been all the help she’s had to keep things running. Good on ya.”

 _Thanks. Could’ve done without the laughing,_ Riza thought flatly. _Though I guess that’s why that ‘guild’s necklace’ teleported me to Granny’s farm._

He shuffled a bit in his seat.

_How convenient._

  
  


***

_She was right. We did make it to town before sunset._

The sun was just starting its descent, barely visible above the canopy of trees that surrounded Seers' Village. This meager sunlight was the only thing that chased away the gloomy darkness of the surrounding forest. The village appeared to be one long road with stone buildings running down both sides. Elderly men and women in humble white robes taught small classes in the clearings between buildings, while muscular lumberjacks strolled up and down the street, either heading home or to the bar after a day's work.

The cart gradually came to a stop in front of a two-story inn. It wasn’t until this moment that Riza realized how much his head hurt from the rattling of the wheels on the road. Now his ringing ears were instead filled with the chattering of birds gossiping in the trees, and the muffled raucous laughter from inside the inn’s bar. 

Maddie whistled a sigh. “Welp, here we are. The Forester’s Arms. Told you we’d make it before sunset.”

Riza turned to offer her a good-bye handshake before deciding against it.

“Um... Thank you again, for the ride,” He said as he steadily got off of the cart, trying to avoid another injury. 

“Aw, shucks, sweetie, it was nothing!" Maddie said happily. "Hey, if you’re ever in the area again and you need a lift, give me a holler! It was a treat chatting with you!”

She hopped off as well and went to check on her unicorns. They both exchanged good-bye waves as Riza made his way into the inn.

To his surprise, the lobby of the inn was a barebones hallway. There was only an open door to the pub, a closed door with a padlock, and a staircase leading upstairs. The desk where he would check in was empty, save for a handwritten sign directing him to “Check for rooms at the bar.” He frowned, nervously glancing over at the open door. 

_I can’t see the bar from here. Does that mean... I have to go in? CAN I go in?”_

He shuffled in place, waiting a few moments for an adult to appear and solve this dilemma for him.

_I mean… I did rob a house today. What’s the worst that could happen?_

Nervously, trying to keep as low a presence as he could, he meandered his way into the pub. It was filled with a mixture of well-dressed government workers and casually dressed lumberjacks, both groups enjoying being off work for the evening.He carefully weaved between the tables like a lost puppy trying to find his way home. 

As Riza neared the bar, he saw an older teenager crouched over the sink, washing some dishes. Despite his bright blond hair hanging over his right eye, he perked up as Riza approached. Straightening up, he stared blankly, his left eye was pitch black in color and cloaked in the shadow of his bangs. Riza froze in place, ice filling his veins. 

“Uh, hey, boss?” the barboy said, turning to face the bartender further down the line.

The bartender, who was in the middle of a conversation, shushed him. After taking the order, he turned to the young man.

“What is it, Alex?”

Alex pointed at Riza. “There’s, uh, a kid in here. You told me to let you...” his voice trailed off to a mumble.

The bartender turned and leaned over the bar. “Hey, kid, you know you’re not supposed to be here,” he said, sternly yet calmly while Alex went back to washing dishes.

Riza pointed towards the door he came in from, “Um, The sign said to check in at the bar. I, uh, I wish to rent a room.”

The bartender looked at him curiously, than stood up and scratched his head. “You’re… really? Where’re your parents?

“It’s just me." Riza said. "Uh, I just need a room for a night. I’m leaving for Catherby tomorrow.”

The bartender looked at Alex, who didn’t look up.

“Well, alright, kid," the bartender shrugged. "The only room we have left is the suite, but I’ll give it to you for 200.”

Riza reached into his money pouch, feeling the weight of 225 gold pieces weighing it down. His eyebrows scrunched slightly. “T-two hundred?”

“Yeah, normally it’s 400 but I can’t ask a kid for that much.”

_Shit, I won’t be able to buy breakfast tomorrow._

Riza hid his dejection as he handed the bartender four 50g pieces. After double-checking the total, the bartender held up the key to the suite from his belt.

“You’re not a runaway, are you?" he asked. "The guards aren’t going to come knocking on my door looking for you tomorrow?”

“Um, N-no,” Riza said instinctively, his heart palpitating at the possibility.

The bartender tossed Riza the key. He pocketed it, then took out a 20g piece.

“Um, can I buy some dinner as well?” Riza asked.

The bartender’s brow furrowed, and he turned to a woman sitting a few seats down. “Hey, your honor, can this kid eat here? He hasn’t had any dinner yet.”

A red faced woman in a powdered wig turned away from her conversation and squinted at Riza. She gave the bartender an exasperated look.

“Hones’ly, Horr, er, Herrkin, I don’t give a shit," she slurred out. "Jusht don’t… Jus’ don’t give him any drinks.”

After a pause, the judge took her beer and gave it two proud taps on the counter like a gavel. Her and her companions started laughing uproariously. The reference flew over Riza’s head.

_Is the bartender’s name ‘Herkin?’_

Riza ordered a chicken pie, which the bartender had Alex prepare, than went off and found an empty table to sit down and wait.

 _Finally, a moment of peace and quiet,_ he thought with a sigh. _At least I should be safe here for now._

He held up the totem, finally getting a chance to take a good look at it. It was small yet weighty, made of yommi wood from southern Karamja and painted with gold and red pigments. The only segment that wasn’t caked in dirt and mud was the top figure, a feathered head depicting Kharazi. He held it gingerly in his hand, making sure to not accidentally rub it.

A bard playing a lute in the background ended his song to applause. He started a more spirited song, and some of the lumberjacks got up to dance. To his surprise, Riza recognized the tune. 

_I wonder if this guy has played in Ardougne before?_

He placed the totem on the table and turned in his seat to watch the performance. The dance of choice for this bouncy song involved a lot of linking arms and spinning. At some point a pair of young, muscular women got on a table and did a kicking, slap-dance routine together to the cheers of everyone in the bar. 

The patrons started chanting “Hey!” on the off beats while the tempo started getting faster and faster. As the song crescendoed to the end, one of the women picked up the other and spun her around. The song and dance ended in a dip as they kissed. The whole bar, Riza included, cheered and applauded, and the audience tossed money to the bard for the good time. The two women laughed heartily as they got off the table and sat back down together.

For his next song, the bard started playing a mellow piece, giving everyone a chance to rest before the next dance tune. Riza tried looking over at the bar to see if his pie was ready, but wasn’t tall enough to see.

_I wonder if Malone has ever been here before. He could’ve told me what to order from here._

He could clearly picture him doing the stupid thing where he framed his chin between his thumb and pointer finger.

 _“Ahh, finally asking ME for advice, are you?”_ he would say in his dumb voice.  
 _Then he would flip the stupid hair hanging over his dumb forehead dramatically out of the way and regale me with his recommendations._

 _I hate that kid,_ Riza mused with a smile. _I can’t wait to tell him and Kyle about this._

He turned back in his seat. _Gods, I can't wait to see what Kyle's face_ _._

He looked down at the table in front of him.

_… Where’s the totem!?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos Elemental for editing!


	5. Chapter 5

_Did I drop it!? But it was just here!_

Riza looked to his left and right, then peaked once under the table. 

_I only looked away for a second! How could I’ve been so careless?_

It wasn’t on the floor. He sat back down and put his hands up to his mouth. _I… I thought I set it down right here!_

He quickly patted his sides, checking if it was in his pockets, before realizing it wouldn't fit.

Finally, Riza stared at the table. _Did… someone just steal it from—_

“So what does this totem mean to you, little thief?” asked a woman's voice.

Startled, Riza looked up to see a lady sitting down across from him. It was _her_. The woman with the inscrutable smirk, the experienced gaze, and the silent footsteps. She was casually holding the totem in her hand, both as a trophy and a hostage, but her eyes were focused on Riza, watching every muscle in his body for a reaction.

Scowling, Riza sprung up in his seat. He got one leg up on the table and stretched out his arm to snatch the totem back. The lady, who was much taller than Riza, merely stood up to avoid his reach.

“Give it back!” he hissed through his teeth, much to the lady’s bemusement.

“Hey, kid! Quit roughhousing or I’ll kick you out!” scolded the bartender from across the room. “Is that kid bothering you, Xenia?”

Xenia gestured with her hand and smiled. “Not at all, Hicken! He’s with me, as a matter of fact.”

“Well can you keep him under control, then?”

She faced Riza again and her long, grey braid fell in front of her face, concealing her smug grin from Hicken. “Will do!”

Riza slowly got off the table, his nose twitching with frustration.

_I can’t believe this…_

They both took their seats again. Xenia leaned over and rested her head on her fist as she examined the totem. Her bangs obscured most of her face from Riza’s view. “Alright. Let’s see if I can guess, then.”

After looking the totem over, she pointed at the top segment. “Do you know who this is?” she paused for a response. “Her name’s Kharazi, and she’s-”

“I know!” he snapped at her. “And Kharazi’s a man.”

Her smirk dropped into a warmer, yet more complex expression. “Oh, is that right?” she leaned on her fist again. “So then what does that make you, little thief? Rantuki? Or... Shilan? Razaman?”

Riza scoffed. _What do YOU know…_

“You’re Razaman. Interesting.”

Riza tensed up. “How did you know—”

Her smug grin returned. _Oh. You didn’t._

Riza raised his arms incredulously. “What’s the point of this!? H-how did you even find me?”

He deflated onto the table, arms outstretched.

“Well, after the dogs tried to pounce on you, I peeked at the jewelry box, and saw that you had taken the guild’s necklace. I gambled that you were a local, and would teleport to the Farming Guild, and...”

She gestured towards him, then leaned in again.

“Still, you did pretty good. I’m surprised you managed to avoid the traps on the stairs and the carpet.” She tapped his hand.. “Ha! But that glyph! Oh, kid. Next time, learn the right runes!”

 _… what?_ he thought, as she continued laughing.

“You’re lucky I knew which symbol you botched, otherwise Lord Handelmort would have been smelling honey for weeks!”

_Oh, that’s where that smell came from…_

“N-Next time?" Riza asked. "What do you mean, ‘next time?”

Suddenly, Alex arrived with the chicken pie. Riza’s nose was assaulted by its peppery aroma. After setting it down, Alex removed the puffy glove he was using to hold it and put it under his arm.

“Um, anything else I can…” His voice trailed off to a mumble. 

Xenia smiled at him. “I would love it if you could get me some of the stew.”

Alex nodded, then disappeared back into the crowd. The heat emanating off of the pie caused Riza to sweat slightly. Xenia sneezed into her arm.

“You got the pie? That’s a bold choice,” she coughed. 

“What did you mean by ‘next time’?” Riza asked again. “This isn’t something I normally do, you know.”

“Could have fooled me, kid. That was impressive work for your first job.”

“Uh, t-thanks,” he replied sheepishly. _Are you going to avoid answering ALL of my questions, then?_

Xenia continued asking Riza about details of the heist, guessing when he felt too defiant to answer. She offered helpful critiques on the dicier aspects, and complimented him on the good parts. By the time Alex had brought over the house stew, Xenia had extracted every relevant detail she could.

“That pie should be cool enough for you to eat now,” she said, digging into her own meal. “They always make them too hot here.”

Riza looked down at his plate. She was right. She had almost timed the conversation perfectly to the temperature of the pie. He took his fork to the crust, releasing a smog of peppered steam into the bar. As far as he could tell, pepper was practically the only vegetable in the entire dish. He gave Xenia a look of resignation, to which she offered a shrug of sympathy.

With the totem held hostage, Riza was forced to share this meal with the strange woman. He silently choked down the bland, overseasoned chicken pie. There was nothing in the world he wouldn’t give at this moment to be at home eating his mom’s cooking.

In a surprising show of kindness, Xenia offered up the last few spoonfuls of her stew. Riza thankfully, yet reluctantly, devoured it in seconds. With his palate cleansed and his belly full, he leaned back in his chair satisfied. Xenia leaned back as well with a sigh of contentment. Riza started poking around his pie, searching for bones to use for a later offering.

“Um... You were awfully quiet,” Riza said to break the silence, 

“A meal between adventures is a sacred thing,” she replied wistfully.

“I’m not an adventurer. I’m just a kid.”

She scoffed. “You’re a little thief. What is your name, by the way?”

“Riza.”

“Do you have a last name?”

“Yeah, it’s none of your business.”

“Hah! Good instincts.” Xenia picked up the totem again. “You know, for a sacred relic, you sure let this thing get dirty.” 

She grabbed a napkin and went to rub off the caked mud on the totem. Riza jumped halfway out of his seat again.

“N-no! Stop! Y-you’re not supposed to do that!” he cried in a panic.

Xenia didn’t answer, staring at him surprised. A pair sitting behind her turned to look at him for a moment. Riza slowly sat back down, embarrassed at his outburst.

“Y-you’re only supposed to wash it in the holy springs. If you rub the dirt off of it, the spirits inside will escape.”

She placed the napkin down, her eyes narrowing at this information. She leaned in, placing her finger on her chin. “So, there are spirits inside this?”

“Yeah. They protect the Rantuki from demons.”

Her eyebrows arched with interest. “Demons? Like, Zamorak’s— “

“No, obviously not,” he interrupted defiantly, crossing his arms. “If they were, then the Dhrampir would be able to convince them to leave. No, they’re not Zamorakian. They’re something… else.”

He expected her to ask him about the Dhrampir, the warriors of the Razama. Instead, she nodded slowly in agreement. Lost in thought for a few moments, she met his confused stare. Her expression changed again, as her mind returned to reality.

“Well, that’s just like the bastard, isn’t it? That pack rat of a man doesn’t care who he kills to fill his hoard.”

_Who? Lord Handelmort?_

“It’s been that way since King Ulthas died,” she continued. “Everyone talks about how Tyras abandoned his people, but Lathas has left the nobles to do what they want. It’s not even the people of Kandarin. The Karamjans are suffering too!”

“Uh, I’m sorry. I don’t… really know much about all that,” Riza admitted sadly, continuing his search through the remnants of the pie.

“You will,” she sighed ominously. “There’s a shadow over Kandarin that you’ll be growing into. My only hope is that we’ll be able to handle it.”

_Who’s we?_

Xenia's brow furrowed. “What are you looking for, by the way?”

Riza sighed. “Well... I thought by ordering something with chicken, I’d get some kind of...”

He choked as he realized he was about to talk about bone sacrifice.

“... satisfaction.”

Xenia shrugged. “Hey, experience is the best teacher. Which, as it turns out, brings me to what I wanted to discuss with you.”

Riza looked up at her sharply. She held the totem cloyingly, and her insufferable grin returned.  
“You want this back?”

“Y-yeah.” Riza said, glowering.

“Then you’re going to help me with a request I received.”

Riza felt his heart drop as he deflated. _Why’re all these old ladies bullying me!?_

“What kinda request?” he asked slowly.

Her grin turned into a sly smile of victory.

“Don’t worry, it won’t take too long.” She rested her head on her hand, framing her chin with her pointer finger. “Tell me, have you ever heard of Lord Sinclair?”

Riza's eyes narrowed. “He… sounds familiar. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.”

Xenia leaned in with an excited grin. “And you never will!" she said dramatically. "He was found murdered this morning.”

Fear struck Riza. _What!?_

“Feeling guilty, little thief?" Xenia probed mischievously. "Handelmort’s not the only one whose mansion was broken into.”

_I don’t feel guilty, no._

”Well, the Legend’s Guild has been asked to help with the investigation," she explained. "Get a fresh pair of eyes on it. Originally I was going to ask one of my wards to help me, but then...”

_You decided to start bothering me instead…_

“I’m not really sure how I can help," Riza said. "I don’t know anything about...” he paused at the morbidity, “... investigating a body.”

“That’s a shame. I wonder if it’s because you’re afraid I’ll find evidence of you there?” she mused, looking over the totem while waving it in the air.

“Stooooop!” he groaned. “Fine, I’ll help you. I don’t have a choice anyway.”

She stood up with a smile as he said that. “Excellent! Glad we could come to an agreement.”

_Yeah, it’s been really nice talking to you…_

She waved down Hicken at the bar. “Hey, thanks for the stew!” she called out to him. “Can you-”

He waved her off. “Yeah, you’re on Guild business, I got it. Hey, say hi to Radimus for me, will you?”

“Will do.”

She grabbed her pack off the floor, put the totem inside, and slung it over her shoulder. Without waiting for Riza, she made her way out the door.

“H-hey!” cried Riza, unprepared for the sudden departure. He grabbed the plates off the table and brought them to the bar to be washed, then ran after her.

The gloomy darkness of the forest had now stretched between the buildings. Xenia was waiting just outside the inn for Riza. Farther down the road, an elderly gentleman with pale eyes was taking the time to light the lanterns along the road in preparation for evening. 

_Looks like Maddie’s already left._

“You ready? The mansion’s this way.” Xenia said, pointing down the long road.

“Y-yeah…”

The streets were mostly empty, save for a few students hanging around outside before dinnertime. Most of them were teenagers older then Riza. He noticed them turning and whispering to each other as the pair passed by, but couldn’t hear what they were saying.

At one point, they passed by a finely dressed young woman who was walking in the opposite direction. Xenia paused and turned to stare at her. Her face was serious, but as inscrutable as ever.

“What?” Riza probed.

No response. She merely turned back, eyes narrowed and shaking her head.

“S-so… I’m still not really sure what I’m supposed to do.” Riza said, unsettled by her silence.

Xenia didn’t respond immediately, much to Riza’s surprise. “I need someone to hold things for me.” she replied almost distantly.

Riza's shoulders peaked. “Y-you’ve got hands!” he exclaimed.

He heard one of the teenage boys mockingly repeat that line in a dumb voice. Riza’s face reddened.

“And so do you, little thief." Xenia teased. "Sticky ones from what I hear.”

“Stop…” he sighed.

They continued walking, and she continued not answering his questions. Eventually the road forked at the precipice of a massive gated castle.

“Is this it?" Riza asked. "It’s almost as big as Ardougne Castle.”

“No, that’s an entirely different beast.” Xenia started walking down the left path. “We’re going this way.

The road snaked north through the woods. The sky couldn’t pierce the thick canopy here, so the only things beating back the gloom were the lit lanterns along the path. The ominous silence of the forest and the absence of people made Riza uneasy.

“Are you okay? You’re not afraid, are you?” Xenia asked.

Riza shook his head, his eyes sunken from his long day. “No. I’m not, It’s just… We’re going through a spooky forest to a mansion to look at a dead guy, you know?”

“Unsettling, isn’t it?” she said with a warm chuckle. “Don’t worry, though. The mansion itself is in a beautiful clearing by the river. It’s a lot less ‘spooky’ there.”

_Thanks, but I said I’m not worried._

Soon they saw the dim light of the clearing up ahead. The early sunset and surrounding maples gave the mansion an autumnal coloring. It stood surrounded by manicured hedges and iron fencing, all the trappings of a well-to-do noble family. Despite the lateness of the hour, the gate was swarmed by curious townsfolk peeking in for more information.

_This place is beautiful. I can’t believe a murder happened here._

A guardsman trying to shoo the town gossips away noticed their approach. He made his way up to Xenia.

“Ah, you’re the one from the Guild, yes?" he asked. "Thank Saradomin you’re here.”

“Sorry I’m late. My assistant here demanded we stop for dinner.”

_Why’re you blaming me!?_

The guard gave an exasperated sigh. The bags under his eyes hung low. “It’s fine. We were hoping we could use the extra time to solve this before you arrived, but…”

“Don’t worry, I understand.The Guild will send the deputization papers back to the court. They should arrive by tomorrow.”

They continued discussing legalese. Riza felt a headache coming on, trying his best to keep up with the conversation. Looking through the gate at the mansion, he saw a young man staring at the two of them from between the curtains.

“All the children and staff aren’t allowed to leave the premises until the case is solved,” Riza heard the guardsman say as he faded back into the conversation.

“Is that right…?” Xenia said flatly. “Well, thank you for the update.” She turned to Riza as the guard opened the gate for them. “You ready?”

“I… guess so.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” she said as she walked in, Riza following close behind. 

The sprawling courtyard was decorated with flower beds sporting vibrant orange and red blooms. The low hum of busy beehives and the gurgling of a fountain filled the air. Riza’s heart skipped as a fenced guard dog barked at them walking by.

“I thought I was just the assistant?” he asked.

Xenia didn’t respond. Her braid hid her face, but Riza knew what was behind it.

_That’s… ominous._

***

“You can’t do this to me! Get your hands off of me, you pig!” 

That was the last thing Riza heard before Xenia closed the door behind them. The muffled squeals of Elizabeth Sinclair protesting her arrest echoed throughout the garden. Xenia whistled a sigh as she shook her head.

“Damn nobles. They’re absolutely insane,” she grumbled under her breath.

The peach hue of the sky was now a fiery inferno, and the shadows of the forest stretched long across the clearing.

“Let’s see here…” Xenia hummed, pulling out a handful of coins from a coin pouch. “2,000. That seems like a fair split.”

She tossed the bag to Riza. With wide eyes he searched it as well.

“T-two thousand gp!?” he exclaimed after confirming the amount. “Th-that’s so much!”

Xenia chuckled. “For a kid. But it’s an even split for an easy job. And you earned it.”

He squirreled away the money, blushing slightly. “I-I didn’t do that much, though.”

“What do you mean? Weren’t you the one who found the fingerprint?”

“After you showed me how. I didn’t even know what a fingerprint was before today.”

Riza looked back up at the mansion.

“So what will happen to the rest of the siblings?”

Xenia started walking towards the gate with Riza following behind. “What do you mean?”

“I… I dunno, I have a feeling they all knew something about it," Riza offered. "I just think Elizabeth was the one who did, y’know, the killing.”

“Oh, they’re all guilty, of course. The guards will hold them under house arrest until— ”

Xenia froze in her steps, staring at the crowd outside the gates. Riza tried to see where she was looking. It was only for a moment, but he saw the face of the teenage girl from earlier turn around and walk back towards Seers.

“Do you know who that is?” Riza asked.

“... Carole," Xenia growled. "Her name is Carole.”

“Huh…”

They walked out of the courtyard towards the looming forest. The dim, flickering lights of the lanterns dotted the road ahead. An owl started rhythmically chanting hoots. Xenia turned to Riza again.

“You’ve got a room at the Foresters’ Arms, right?” she asked.

“Yeah?” Riza answered slowly.

“You should trade the key back. Get your money and head to Catherby.”

He looked up at her, expecting to see her smug grin. It wasn’t there. She was serious.

“What!? Why!?” he whined. “I’m tired of walking around everywhere!”

She lifted her left arm up, then made a gesture with her fingers. A circle of small blue and white lights appeared around her hand. Riza stepped back a bit.

_She’s... casting a spell?_

“I mean, you can do what you want, little thief. Though I would highly recommend the rooms in Catherby. They’re warm… and safe.”

With a flash of purple and blue lights, she hopped and disappeared. Riza guessed from the display that she teleported away.

Now he was alone. All alone again. Finally, all alone.

 _Gods, I’m exhausted… It’s been a long day._ He started his journey back to the inn. _As if I’m walking to Catherby. I’m way too tired for that._

The road was mostly empty now. The only things accompanying Riza were his thoughts. His arms and legs ached with overuse, but he knew he had enough in him to get back to the inn. He imagined finally being able to flop down on the bed and passing right out.

_It really has been quite the day. Mom and Dad would be impressed. Well, probably upset first, then impressed. I’ll definitely send them a letter once I get to the Rantuki camp—_

_Wait… The totem! Xenia still has the totem!_

He stopped walking. The heaviness of his exhaustion hit him, and he realized that he had been moving mostly through momentum.

_Gods, I can’t do this tonight…_

As much as the totem had been his entire day, he instead resolved himself to get up early tomorrow and try to catch her then.

_She probably brought the totem with her to make sure I went to Catherby. Well, I’m not falling for that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for editing!


	6. Chapter 6

****Content Warning: Descriptions of Violence, Allusions to Blood.****

Riza never did get to flop on the bed.

_Dammit…! C’mon… c’mon…!_

In fact, he never even made it to the inn.

_Stupid dull ass knife…!_

He just barely managed to cut the rope around his left wrist as another arrow struck the ground next to him. He sprung up and continued his run through the darkness, dropping the knife in a panic. 

_Shit! That was close!_

With his hands now free, he could more easily feel for things in front of him instead of relying on their lantern.

_Left… No, right! Go right!_

_Another arrow struck the tree to his right._

_Left! Go left!_

At this point it wasn’t about stealth, it was about distance. The further away he could get from them, the more time he had to breathe. 

_Shit… Wh-whyy is it so hard to think!?_

He tried opening his left eye. It stung with whatever was trickling into it.

_Wh-why didn’t I listen to her!? What the fuck was I thinking!?_

The light from the lantern behind him moved a bit, and he could see the shadow of a large tree just up ahead.

_Th-the tree. Hide behind the tree!_

With a panicked hop over the roots, he practically swung around the corner and came to a stop. He rested his back against the tree, casting his head upwards as he gasped for breath.

_H-how long have I been running? What time is it, even?_

The forest north of Seers was pitch black. Not even the moon was able to pierce the thick canopy. For what felt like hours, Riza has been running from them, running as far as his tired, aching legs could take him. Whoever they were, they intended to kill him.

He caught himself breathing loudly, and covered his mouth with his hands to muffle it. Whatever the warm thing was that was running into his eye was now on his hand. 

_She was right. Of course she was right. I should have gone to Catherby. Why, why, why didn’t I listen to her!?_

Something hit the tree with a large crack. Riza tensed up with a whimper. He was about to start running again, but stopped himself.

_M-maybe they’re just trying to l-lluure me out. J-just wait._

The light from the lantern was getting closer. It was always getting closer.

_N-no! I can’t wait! R-run!_

He sprung away from the tree. An arrow whizzed behind him as he ducked through the brush.

The man with an eye tattoo on his forehead lowered his bow. Nothing. Another miss. The toothpick in his mouth pointed up as he frowned.

“Tch… What a pain in my ass…” he grumbled.

A short man with large glasses and a similar set of dark colored armor walked up behind him, waving a scolding finger.

“That’s the FOURTH pain in the ass TONIGHT! Perhaps we should get THAT checked out along with your EYES!”

The little man waved his staff around. A circle of brown and white lights surrounded it.

“THREE eyes on that head of yours and NONE of them seem to help you HIT the brat!” he said. His voice was shrill, and he rolled his R’s as dramatically as possible.

The tattooed man kept scanning the forest.

“…Anything else you’re keeping count of, Formis?”

“YEAH! How often you’re MISSING!” he responded without hesitation. “And I’ll remember that number when we have to collect our PAY!”

“Whatever…” The archer grabbed another arrow from his quiver.

“Hey, you’re not doin’ much better, Forms,” the brutish man behind them called out. “At least Beau’s trying with his shots.”

“HRMPH! Leave it to YOU to not understand my plans! Magic is a delicate process that doesn’t lend itself to WASTE!”

Beau raised his bow for another shot, then lowered it with a sigh.

“...He’s sayin’ that runes aren’t cheap, Dorian.”

“And he’s usin’ too many words to say it! Grah!” 

Dorian held the crudely bandaged stab wound on his shoulder. “Can you two just hurry up and kill that little shit!?”

“Yes, emphasis on US TWO! How about YOU quit complaining and hold up that lamp!”

“... He’s just mad ‘cause the kid got the drop on him.”

Dorian bellowed a slew of complaints at the accusation as Beau shot another arrow, causing Riza to spring up from his hiding spot again and disappear into more brush.

All night long, like a deer marked for death, he was bouncing from one hiding spot to another. Every single time, the trio would find him and he would have to run again. The only light Riza had to guide him was in the hands of his pursuers, and all the while he was subjected to the slew of banter between them. It was like his life was a game to them.

His head hurt to touch, so he couldn’t wipe the sweat from his brow. He felt filthy with sweat and dirt. If even for a moment, he wanted to stop and make a prayer for Zamorak’s assistance. But now wasn’t the time. He had to run.

Riza stumbled a bit. Another flash of dizziness. Another thing trying to hinder his escape.

_Shit… Wh-whyy is it so h-hard to th-think!?_

He was out of the perimeter of the lantern now. In an attempt to rest, he collapsed onto his hands and knees behind a tree. His open right eye started to sting as well. Panicked tears started welling up in them.

He closed his eye, causing the well to break and trickle down his face.

“Dammit…” He cursed between gritted teeth. _H-how did this eeevn happpen?_

***

It started with that weird feeling. And it all happened so fast.

As he walked down the empty streets of Seers, in the dim lights of the lanterns, he felt something weird envelop him. The hairs on the back of his neck raised.

Before he even had a chance to yell, a blast of magic came out from between the buildings, sending him flying across the street into an alleyway. A magical vine appeared, dragging him to the ground. Within moments the archer was on him, binding his wrists in front. The hulking man grabbed him by the hair and hauled him screaming deep into the forest.

He was thrown down on the ground at the feet of a woman. The archer stepped on his back to keep him from running away. From the corner of his eye he looked up to see the sneering face of a teenage girl - the one Xenia called Carole.

“Is this the one, Miss Sinclair?” asked Dorian. “The Karamjan boy?”

“How often do you see a ginger Karamjan, you dolt!?” she jeered. “Of course that’s him.”

As Dorian quietly apologized, she kneeled down. She grabbed Riza by his hair and sharply lifted his head up.The light of the lantern on Dorian’s belt cast wicked shadows across her face. She looked down her nose at Riza with disgust.

“You and that old bitch ruined our plans, you know. Everything would have been perfect had you two not shown up.” 

Riza silently glowered at her. She spat in his face, then pushed it back into the dirt.

“Get that beast out of my sight,” she said, standing up and brushing the dirt off of her dress. “Take him to the river. I don’t want this tracing back to you, and I especially don’t want this tracing back to me.”

Dorian picked Riza up and slung him over his shoulder. Riza desperately tried punching at his back, but the brutish man didn’t even flinch. Carole started to walk away, but after a few steps she turned back around.

“And bring me back a lock of his hair. It’s pretty, and I’d like to destroy it.”

“Why, of course, madam! Anything for you!” Formis said sweetly.

“Tch… Suck up…”

And with that they made their way to the river. Riza kicked and struggled until he tuckered himself out. He slumped over Dorian’s back, desperately trying to figure out an escape route.

He closed his eyes. His hands were bound together, which meant he could use them to pray. Interlocking his hands, he curled his middle finger behind his pointer finger.

He requested to be lent inspiration. Nothing came to mind. He wondered if it was because he didn’t make an offering tonight. It wasn’t until he opened his eyes that he saw it. A hunting knife sheathed on Dorian’s belt.

It all happened so fast. 

Riza reached down and grabbed the knife. Dorian felt him squirming again and hoisted him back up. With the knife in hand Riza jabbed it into Dorian’s shoulder blade, who let out a hollaring scream. Dorian instinctively released his grip on Riza, who kicked away from his captor and got his legs on the ground.

Riza started to sprint away from the group while they were unsure what was happening. Before he could get too far, Dorian swung the mace in his other hand. It smacked the side of Riza’s head with a thunk.

Riza’s eyes glossed over for a moment as he fell to the ground, but he managed to scramble to his feet and darted off into the inky darkness. 

It didn’t matter where he ran, All he knew was to run as far as he could.

He just had to keep running.

***

“My gods, how is that BRAT still ALIVE!?” asked Formis as he shot another blast of earth magic into the darkness.

“Tch… This is boring. We’ve done quicker jobs for more gold.” Beau complained. “Let’s just head back. Forget the kid.”

“Then gimme your share and bail, if you’re so tired of chasing that little shit,” Dorian responded. “I’m not resting ‘till we’ve squeezed the life out of that brat.”

Formis smiled smugly. “Is he a little SHIT or is he a BRAT?”

Dorian was about to yell his retort before Beau shushed him. There was a rustling up ahead. He held up the lantern as the mage headed in that direction.

“See, you FOOLS? Aren’t you glad you have ME here to guide you?” sneered Formis, charging up another spell.

Out of the corner of his eye, Beau saw a shadow fleeing in the opposite direction. He readied his bow.

“Tch… Idiot, that was a rock. I see him.”

The arrow flew… And missed again. The earth spell fired… and also missed.

“... Lucky brat…”

Riza was putting everything he had in this sprint. He gained a bit of distance using the distraction. He just had to run. He just had to find a place to hide.

Up ahead he saw a clearing. It was the first time he had seen any light besides the lantern in a long time. He darted between the trees towards the opening.

He came to a skidding stop at the crest of a hill. The dim moonlight barely allowed him to see the edge. Below him he saw the glowing reflection of Zanaris blurred by the tides of a river. Next to him was a decently sized rock. It was just about as tall as he was.

Another wave of dizziness came. This one was worse than the last. He caught himself on the rock next to him, barely hanging on to consciousness.

_Where do I g-go from heere? Doo I h-hide in the r-river…?_

He pinched his nose with his right hand, trying to collect his fading thoughts. He felt the rope dangling from his wrist against his face.

_C-c’mon. Keep it... togesser. Y-you can’t die he—_

The silence of the night was broken by a scream of agony as Riza felt the arrow strike his calf. He felt as if what little energy he had left was expended by his lungs. He fell forward slowly, eyes glazing over as he faded out from dizziness and pain. The rock he was leaning on gave way as well, and they tumbled down the hill.

Dorian, Formis, and Beau heard it all. The arrow being loosed, the boy’s scream of pain, and the splash from the river up ahead.

“Well, it’s about TIME!” Formis said in a huff. “Alright, Beau, you win. you get the kid’s coin purse.”

“Yippee. 2000gp,” he said flatly. “Can we go home now?”

“Hey, you idiots. You’re forgettin’ that Sinclair brat wanted some of his hair!” Dorian yelled. “And now he’s in the river! Great going, Beau!”

“... funny, I thought we were going to drown him in the first place.”

“Tha’s not the point!”

“Oh, this is no problem at ALL! Now that this POINTLESS charade is over, all we have to do is collect the HAIR at our convenience!”

“Assumin’ we can find him!”

“He’s bleeding OUT, isn’t he? We’ll be able to find him EASILY in the water.

“Tch… Well, can we go back to Seers and wait for him to float downstream?” Beau complained. “I’m tired and there’s wolves in this forest.”

The chattering and complaining faded into the forest as the trio made their way back to Seers Village. Soon the only sound one could hear was of the babbling river, and the only light came from the moon above.

***

_I can’t… I c-caan’t die here…_

Riza pulled himself into the brush. He didn’t know where they were, but he didn’t want to look back - he just had to escape. He had to escape with his life.

He was lucky. While the boulder rolled into the river with a splash, he tumbled into a shallow section. From there he crawled his way onto shore until he collapsed. Now he was using everything he had to drag his body to safety.

His leg throbbed with pain, but he clenched his teeth. If he just hid himself here, then maybe they’d miss him. It was his only chance. He just couldn’t run anymore.

_Dammit… Why issit sooo… haarrd to think?_

He made it. He thought maybe he’d scraped against some thorns, but it didn’t matter. He was safe now.

He was… safe…

Safe enough… to take a nap.

Just a quick nap… then he’ll keep running.

Just… a quick...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta-reading!


	7. Chapter 7

****Content Warning: Descriptions of Violence, Allusions to Blood.****

It was unusual how hard it was raining over Seers Village that night. A freak deluge from Catherby had moved southwest and was soaking the southern forest. Xenia watched as people clamoured to bring in assorted sheets and sundries that they wanted to keep dry. She noticed some villagers peeking out of their windows as she passed by. Something had happened here, and she was worried about what it could have been.

She thought Riza would have been smarter than this. She was sure he would pick up that he wasn’t safe in Seers Village. Since he hadn’t made it to Catherby yet, she assumed he had decided to stay here overnight.

She was hoping to see him in his room at the inn, so she made her way to the Foresters’ Arms. Upon arriving, she closed her umbrella and set it aside. The bar was sparsely populated, but that was to be expected since it was almost midnight. To her surprise, Hicken and Alex were nowhere to be seen.

“Hicken?” she called out.

“He’s in the back. Alex had an episode, so…” a patron responded.

She nodded, then made her way to the storage room door. She placed her head against it and knocked.

“Hicken? It’s Xenia.”

“Oh! Xenia, yeah, come in!” Hicken responded.

She opened, walked through, and closed the door in one deft movement. The back wall of the room was lined with weapons and imagery depicting a set of silver wings. Alex was laid on a makeshift bed in the corner with a cloth on his forehead under his bangs, and Hicken was holding his hand tightly.

Turning to face Xenia as she entered, Hicken said “He had another vision. It spooked him, from what it seems.” 

“Poor thing,” Xenia cooed sympathetically. “One of my wards also has visions. Though they’re not usually as… dark as his.”

Hicken wiped his nose. “It’d be a shame if he goes the way of the ol’ sinseer. I don’t know how I’d face his parents if he suffered like that.”

They shared a silence. The pattering of rain accentuated the moment.

“You didn’t come here for this, though. What did you need?” Hicken continued.

“That boy I was with earlier—”

“The redhead? What about him?”

“Have you seen him?”

“Not since you two left. Why? Did he run away?”

Xenia’s face and heart dropped. “Are you sure? You’re sure you didn’t see him come back?”

Hicken stammered a bit. “I-I mean, no, I’m pretty sure I haven’t. I mean, I’ve been back here for the past few minutes taking care of Alex but—”

A soft rapping came from the door. They both turned to look at it.

“Xenia, are you in here? I saw you come this way.” called a girl's voice from the other side.

“Yes, Ariane, you can come in.”

In a similar maneuver to Xenia, a petite redheaded girl swiftly entered the room. With poise, she walked over to Xenia and they exchanged hugs.

“I’m glad I got to see you before returning to the Tower.” she said, smiling. “Though my parents will be cross I’m out and about so late.”

“I’ll walk you home after I’m done here.”

“Oh, no, Xenia, it’s no trouble. I came to see you of my own accord. What’s more, I… think I saw something that I was hoping you might be able to make sense of.”

Hicken and Xenia exchanged looks.

“Did poor Alex have a vision too?” Ariane asked, with a glance towards the bed. “It’s a shame, it’s always so painful for him.”

Xenia directed Ariane to some barrels to sit on.

“He’ll be alright, but tell me what you saw.”

“Well, there was a man, older than me, but younger than you, with a third eye.” She made a diamond shape with her fingers on her forehead. “He was chasing a boy who was younger than me, but he had vibrant red hair like mine. The man said he was going to ‘wait by the river’ for...” she paused, looking down with a solemn expression, “for his body.”

Xenia snapped her gaze towards Hicken, who shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Alex was too afraid to tell me his vision.”

Ariane continued. “The reason I wanted to ask for your opinion, you see, is in regards to the boy. There was something about him that reminded me of you, Xenia. Not in a literal sense, of course. Just that— ”

“Visions are often metaphorical…” Xenia finished her thought with downcast eyes and a furrowed brow. 

“Precisely. But, er...” Ariane brought her thumb up to her lips and paused with a fret. “I… I hate to ask, but does a… presumably deceased red-headed boy running through the woods mean something to you, Xenia?”

The question hung in the air. Ariane lowered her hands, putting them together, and fidgeted with her fingers. Hicken opened his mouth to say something, but before he could Xenia suddenly stood up. 

“Ariane, don’t follow me. Stay in here where it’s safe,” was her only response as she made her way to the exit.

Hicken rushed to his feet as well. “Xenia, don’t do anything rash!”

Xenia lingered at the doorway. She turned her head slightly, her braid obscuring her face. “... There’s a bounty out that I can fulfill. I’m merely doing my job.” 

Her words chilled Ariane and Hicken to the bone.

She stepped out of the bar into the pouring rain. Turning to her left, she started a sprint down the road, heading towards the direction of the Sinclair mansion. As she passed a workshop on her left, she heard a shrill voice echoing from ahead. 

“...’ll be spending all NIGHT waiting for the BRAT. Apparently the old BITCH with the braid left TOWN!”

“It’s been a shit night all around, is what it’s been.”

She stopped in her tracks, and cast her face downwards. Their silhouettes were only just forming in the rain, but it didn’t matter. She knew who they were. After a few moments the brutish man and the short wizard, both clad in dark armor, stepped out of the darkness.

“Heh… Looks like things are looking up.” said Dorian. “When I heard it was a broad from the guild, I shoulda known it was going to be you.”

“Formiswen Eragard and Dorian Hunt. Two of an infamous band of Renegade Knights. Enemies to the authority of the crown,” Xenia said heavily.

She steadily drew a crimson sword from its sheath. Her eyes were sunken in shadow as she slowly walked towards the duo. “Tell me, how much was the life you took worth? Shall we compare that bounty to yours?”

A set of green lights circled around her raised left hand. Formis stepped backwards a bit.

“D-Dorian, maybe we should leave.”

“Hell with that, Forms. Beau got all the fun with the kid. I know this bitch, she’s all mine.”

As he said that bit of bravado, Xenia started her attack. Formis’ leg was completely entangled by a white root that shot out of the ground. A pale blue and an orange light then orbited Xenia's hand. 

Dorian prepared to swing with his mace. Suddenly Xenia rushed forward and slammed her open left palm on his chest. With a crack, the spell created a shattering effect around him. 

He swung down with his mace, but just before it connected she disappeared, leaving a blue silhouette behind. She reappeared two feet behind and sliced with her sword. It gashed his chest, his metallic armor rendered ineffective by her earlier spell, and he staggered backwards in pain. With a spin she kicked him square in the jaw and knocked him to the floor.

As Xenia went to stab Dorian in the chest, Formis broke free of his binds in a burst of energy. He started to summon a pair of two blue lights as Xenia hit him with her own spell. He jumped up to teleport, only to hit a purple cage above him, then fall back to the floor. Xenia grabbed him by the collar.

“Nice try. Now tell me where you took the kid.”

“FEH! Is that BRAT so important to you? Then go JUMP in the river and FIND him! Make MY job easier!”

Xenia squeezed his collar tighter. The runes for a fire spell appeared around her hand.

“... and how much did it cost for you to kill a child?”

His eyes narrowed. “Not ENOUGH, at this rate. You don’t SCARE me, you old HAG!”

He shoved his hand in her face, preparing a blast of earth magic. Before he could release the spell, Xenia punched him square in the face using the fist coiled around her sword. Formis went limp, and she dropped him on the floor.

It took everything she had to keep from stabbing them both in the hearts. Some town guards arrived shortly after to investigate the commotion. After speaking with Xenia and confirming the bounty, they dragged the two renegade knights away. They handed her a pouch of coins as payment for her service.

Xenia stood, still as a shadow, staring at the pouch in the unflinching rain. 80,000gp. That’s how much it cost to avenge the little thief. 80,000gp was the price for her actions - the price for her inaction.

“Xenia!” cried a girl's voice from behind her.

She turned around. Ariane stood some feet away underneath her umbrella. Her face was wrought with worry.

“Ariane… I told you to stay inside.” Xenia scolded flatly.

“Alex woke up. He… correlated my vision with his own.”

She looked down at the road sadly, while Xenia looked back at the coin purse. With pattering steps through the rain, Ariane slowly walked over to Xenia, holding up the umbrella as high as she could to catch the both of them underneath.

“I’m so sorry,” she said after a pause.

No response.

“I know it’s so soon after your own loss, but... you mustn't blame yourself for this.”

The two of them shared this moment of silence in the middle of the road. Xenia’s fingers coiled tighter against the pouch, which started shaking from the tension. Her shadowed eyes focused on her trembling fist. Ariane stood under the umbrella alongside her mentor, joining her in this vigil for the boy she never met.

***

_It’s a typical dinner time in the Paramaya kitchen. Pots are stacked high in the sink, food debris is neatly piled on the counter, and a fragrant aroma wafts through the air. Riza wipes some drippings off the edge of a plate with a napkin to create a clean presentation of the food he made. He turns around to his mother, who is sitting at the dining table facing him._

_“Oh, would you look at that!” Mieke cheers as Riza sets her plate in front of her. “My boy, the royal chef. Making meals for the king of Ardougne!”_

_“You ended up doing most of it,” he responds sheepishly._

_He places his own plate on the table and sits down. For an early dinner that night, he had prepared a spicy vegetable and shrimp curry. His mother had shown him how to make a kind of egg noodle that involved boiling the batter, upon which the curry was poured._

_He raises his hands together, curling his middle finger behind the tip of his pointer finger, and places them in front of his mouth. He closes his eyes and thanks Zamorak for lending him the knowledge needed to prepare this dish._

_He opens his eyes and watches with bated breath as his mother takes her first spoonful. After the first few bites she closes her eyes and shakes her head._

_“When your father comes home, him and I are gonna go out and buy you a restaurant,” she announces._

_Riza smiles. “I’m too young to own a restaurant!”_

_“Too young, he says!” she scoffs. “Too young to make food this good, is what you are!”_

_Riza tries his first bite, and thinks “Mom makes this better. She’s just flattering me.”_

_“Your friends came by looking for you. I told them you were at the post office. Did they find you?”_

_“Yeah. We walked around the market for a bit, but I think they just wanted to know if I brought any treats back from Karamja.”_

_Mieke chuckles and shakes her head. “Those two… They could have asked me to give it to them.”_

_Riza shrugs “That’s what I said! I told’em I’d bring them it tomorrow after I help out dad.”_

_The conversation pauses for a bit as they continue eating._

_“That one girl you used to play with. The one T’fruti would babysit with you. I don’t see her hanging around much anymore.”_

_“Ramara? She had to start helping her dad at the bakery. She doesn’t have a lot of time anymore.”_

_Mieke sighs with disappointment. “They put you kids to work too early in this town. You kids should be out playing and having fun.”_

_“I thought you were going to buy me a restaurant?” he thinks._

_They hear the front door open down the hall._

_“How can you expect me to work and make money when I can smell your cooking downstairs?” Lwazi cries out melodramatically from the other room. “My wife, you’ll bankrupt us!”_

_“Your son’s the one who made it.” Mieke responds._

_“Eh?”_

_“I said, your son’s the one who made it.”_

_Lwazi walks into the dining room, his face alight with surprise as he sees their partially eaten plates. He walks up to his wife as they take each other's forearm. He leans down so they can whisper “strength through chaos” in each other's ears, then peck each other on the lips. He does the same greeting for his son, but kisses him on the forehead instead and rustles his hair._

_“My boy, my darling boy! You made this?”_

_Riza nods as Mieke points towards the counter._

_“He made a plate for you, too.”_

_With an excited, rhythmic step, he goes over to grab his plate. As he brings it to the table, he raises it up and sways it side to side, as if showing the world his meal._

_“A feeeast~ fit for the chieeef~” he sings in a deep baritone._

_Riza put his face in his hands, embarrassed. Mieke shakes her head with a smile. “Who fucked it up and made you the chief?”_

_Lwazi chuckles deeply as he sits down to eat._

_“So what did that lady want? The one from Westside?”_

_“Who?”_

_“The lady with the long grey braid. What did she want with the totem?”_

_Riza’s head and leg start hurting. He groans in pain, even though that didn’t happen the first time. His family continues, paying him no mind._

_“Xenia? Oh, she brought it to Catherby.”_

_“To Catherby... “ Mieke slowly nods a few times. “Huh.”_

_“Huh.” echos Lwazi._

_“Huh…” says Riza._

***

“Huh!?” Riza croaked as he woke with a start. 

_A… dream. About yesserday…?_

He was still groggy. Everything he could see in the dim moonlight was blurry. The pain in his head and his leg still burned - he had never felt such pain before in his life.

Some wolves howled in the distance.

_Funny… Why arre there woolves in heerrre?_

Something in the back of his mind realized he was in danger, so he tried to move his arms. They wouldn’t budge. His brow scrunched in confusion. He tried again, but still nothing.

_W-weird… Why caan’t I move?_

All he could do was look forward. It was nothing but forest as far as he could see from the ground. He tried opening his left eye again. Whatever was flowing down from his head wasn’t dripping into his eye anymore, so he could finally see through both of them.

_Oh… Th-thassa relief… I was…. worrried._

The ground around his head and shoulders felt warm, almost comfortingly so. Were it not for the panic in the background of his mind, he would feel completely at ease.

Eventually, he saw something move in the shadows. The best he could tell, it was trotting on four long, furry legs. He couldn't quite place what that meant, but something told him it wasn’t good.

The four legged beast was sniffing around, looking for something. Probably for food. Even in the pitch darkness, it seemed to know what it was searching for.

It spotted Riza from a few feet away. They stared at each other's silhouettes for a few moments.

Then it walked over to him.

Riza’s eyes welled up with tears again.

_Am I… Going to die now…?_

***

“Jormun! C’mere, boy!” cried the teenaged boy through the forest.

It wasn’t unusual for Irwinsson’s dog to meander off somewhere when he wasn’t looking. His dad always told him that the mutt was no good as a hunting dog, that he was always distracted, but usually he assumed that was a veiled insult about himself. It was bad enough that the image of his lanky frame climbing over bushes after this dog was infamously funny to the villagers.

“Jormun! Jooormuuun!”

It was late, he was tired, but Irwinsson had to find his dog. He was far away from the torch, but he was used to hunting so late at night that he could see adequately enough. Not that this trip was all that great anyway.

“Jormun! C’mere boy!”

Jormun barked happily from a distance. “You’re really going to make me come get you?”

With a sigh, he pushed his way through another bush. He finally saw Jormun standing over some prey by the river. He was panting happily as he sat next to the body.

“Oh, gross, were you eating that? Bad dog, Jormun!”

Jormun tilted his head confused, before continuing to pant. Irwinsson pulled out his skinning knife and made his way over.

“Well, let’s see what you found.”

As he moved closer, he realized what he was looking at, and he fumbled and dropped the knife.

“J-jormun! Th-that’s a boy! A human boy! A-and he’s breathing!”

Jormun barked. Irwinsson ran back the way he came, calling for his father to come help. The dog raced after him.

Riza couldn’t quite understand what just happened.

After a minute, Irwinsson returned with his father.

“That arrow… Is this child the only thing you’ve hit all night, Irwinsson?” he said, shining his torch on the scene.

“N-no father! W-we didn’t even go this way— “

The dad interrupted gruffly. “I know, boy.”

He walked up to Riza, looking over his body. Irwinsson shuffled nervously, watching what his father would do. After a few moments, his dad turned to him sharply.

“Well!? What are you standing there for!? Go take the furs back to the village and fetch a healer!”

Irwinsson froze for a moment, said “Y-yes, father!” and scurried off. Riza looked up at the man’s eyes. They were cold, yet wise. His long, split beard blended into the thick yellow fur he wore on his shoulders. He began picking at the bush Riza was lying under.

“You’re lucky you landed in a buckthorn bush, outlander.” He mumbled. “I can at least keep you alive for now.”

Riza tried to nod. He didn’t have it in him.

_Th-thanks_ were the last words he thought before fading out again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	8. Chapter 8

_ It feels like forever since Riza got to sit around on the grass with Kyle and Malone. Together the three watch as figures, whoever they are, walk by the gnoll, wherever that is. Malone’s sitting cross-legged with his head resting in his hands. Riza’s leaning back, his legs outstretched. Kyle’s resting their head on Riza’s shoulder, their jet black hair draping over it like a cape. _

_ Riza wasn’t quite sure how long they've been sitting here, looking up at the featureless sky, lost in thought. The silence of the moment is broken as Kyle sighs deeply. Riza looks down at them, and he sees their long eyelashes fluttering as they slowly blink. _

_ “What?” Riza asks. “Is something wrong?” _

_ “Yeah…” they say breathily. “I’m sad we won’t be able to see you for a while.” _

_ “Why not?” _

_ Their voice deepens. “Because you’re on the run, idiot. Don’t you realize the Ardougne guard is after you?” _

_ “Oh… Sorry.” _

_ “Don’t be.”  _

_ Despite what they say, Riza apologetically rests his head on Kyle’s. He looks over to Malone, who was staring at them knowingly as his freckled cheeks begin to rise with a stupid grin. “What’s that look for?” Riza asks. _

_ “I knew it!” Malone cries out, pointing at the two of them. “I knew you liked Kyle!” _

_ “Shut up!” Riza groans, wrapping his arms around Kyle and squeezing. “I don’t ‘like’ them! Stop saying that!” _

_ It did feel weird, though, having them sit so close to him. They’d been friends for years, but it really wasn’t until recently that Riza noticed how pretty they were. With a bit of hesitation, he ran his fingers through their hair. For some reason, he imagines it feels like water. _

_ “Well, when you’re ready to stop lying to yourself…” Malone said with a sigh. _

_ Riza and Malone continued watching the featureless people walk by. This felt fun, or maybe familiar... Just three bored kids watching life go by in front of them.  _

_ At some point, Kyle must have dozed off. He knew for a fact that they didn’t snore, but they would mumble sometimes in their sleep. _

_ “Hey Malone, have you ever been to Seers Village?” Riza asks. _

_ Malone frames his chin with his thumb and pointer finger. “Why, yes I have! If you ever go there, and you stop by the inn, you should have the stew. The chicken pie is no good.” _

_ “Yeah, thanks for telling me now.” _

_ Malone swats away a lock of hair dangling over his forehead, and gives him an incredulous shrug. “Hey, I did tell you before! Don’t you remember?” _

_ “Oh, did you? I’m sorry, I guess I forgot.” _

_ Riza looks at the crowd again. He thinks he sees someone he recognizes past the shadowed people. With a squint sees the grinning face of a man with large glasses standing in the distance. _

_ “Arrgh! Shit…!” Riza cries as he feels his calf jolt with pain. His entire leg tenses up, and his toes curl together. Kyle wakes with a start.  _

_ Riza falls back onto the grass and clenches his fists and teeth through it. His face burns as he realizes that his friends are seeing him act like this. Kyle leans over him, concerned, and Riza feels them taking his hand and squeezing it tightly. _

_ “It’ll be okay. Just be strong,” they say softly. _

_ Riza sees Malone stand up out of the corner of his eye. “Is it that guy with the eye tattoo the one who hurt you? I’ll get him, just for you, bud!” he declares as he runs off. _

_ “No, don’t! It’s not safe!” Riza cries.  _

_ He wants to get up and run after him, but he’s just so, so tired. He feels Kyle’s hand squeezing his harder. Their eyebrows are upturned on their perfect face, as they look at him with seriousness and worry.  _

_ “Riza? Do you promise? Do you promise me that you’ll be strong?” they ask again. _

_ “I’m sorry…” He sobs. “I promise I’ll be strong.” _

_ Riza watched Kyle give him a thankful smile as he faded out of his dream and back into reality.  _

_ *** _

The pulsing pain in Riza’s calf persisted as he woke up. He tried moving his leg, but realized it was tied to something, and couldn’t bend. As he struggled to collect his thoughts, he realized his swelteringly warm head was wrapped up tightly as well. He felt gross, drenched in sweat.

Groggily, he opened his eyes to a dark ceiling. He rolled his head to the left, his cheek flush against the pillow underneath him, and saw a plain wooden wall. 

_ S-so I'm inside a...house?  _ His ears registered a rhythmic thunking from behind him.

“Huh?” he wheezed through his dried mouth. He felt the arid crags of skin on his lips crack. Turning to his right, he tried to find the source of the noise.

A burning sensation in his forehead made his eyelids heavy. Through his blurred vision he saw the flickering of a hearth in the center of the room. There was a pot boiling on top of the bright flames, and the light made his headache worse, so he had to avert his gaze.

To the right of the hearth was a tall woman, chopping vegetables at a counter along the wall. Riza had trouble picking out any of her features, but something in the back of his mind made him think she had the look of a mother.

The chopping stopped. He heard the woman sigh to herself. 

“You’re finally awake?” There was a strange affectation to her voice that Riza couldn’t quite place. Something about the way she rolled her tongue and spoke from her chest. He saw her pour some water from a pitcher into a small goblet and walk over to him. His heavy breaths and heartbeats sped up irrationally as she approached. 

The woman kneeled down to his bedside, and Riza got a better look at her. She seemed younger than Xenia, though her face was rough with tiny scars. She was taller, and much more toned too. Her dark green eyes looked down at him with the coldest warmth he’s ever seen.

“Here, drink this. You’ll need it to keep your strength,” she said quietly, her eyes just barely avoiding his. Her hand squeezed under his shoulder and she gently helped him sit upright, though even this small movement caused his leg to burn. She held the goblet up to him, ignoring his hiss of pain.

He took the cup and drank.. What he thought was water was actually very sweet, and had a bit of texture. After he swallowed the liquid, the leftover flavor on his tongue turned very bitter as he laid back down.

“You’ll take that twice a day until the infection goes down,” she commanded. Riza nodded obediently. She stood up as he looked at her with sunken eyes.

“Um… Where am I?” he asked.

The woman walked over to a shelf and grabbed a wooden bowl, then walked over to the pot on the hearth. “You’re in Rellekka. In my home. Sigli brought you here the night before last.”

_ Sigli… _ Riza thought. _ Was that the man with the fur _ ?

She scooped up a golden-yellow mixture from the pot and poured it into the bowl. “The healer tended to your leg and head. I’m taking care of you until you can walk.”

With that, she strolled back towards Riza and shoved the bowl in his face. The bubbling liquid within smelled strongly of pumpkin, and had bits of carrots and greens simmering within.

_ It looks… delicious. Why is it so thick? _

The woman continued to hold the bowl up to him expectantly. Riza hesitated, wondering if she was going to help him up for this as well. After waiting far too long for no answer, he tried scooting himself back in the bed to sit up. He didn't make it that far before the pain overtook him again.

Rolling her eyes and sighing, she set the bowl down and helped him up, propping the pillow on the wall behind him. 

“I’m sorry...” he responded quietly.

A voice stirred in the back of his head.  _ “Don’t be sorry, you promised to be strong.” _

The woman wordlessly handed the bowl back to him. He took it and examined its contents again.

“Th-thank you. Um… Is this pumpkin?”

“Cheese, pumpkin, yak meat.” She responded shortly.

_ Cheese? In soup? _

“Uhm… what’s a yak?”

She merely scoffed, pulling up a chair and sitting down. She was turned enough away from his face that she didn’t have to watch him.

Riza tried the soup. He had never eaten a creamy soup before, and he was sold on the first bite. It was warm and hearty, and the vegetables were addicting. Whatever a yak was, it added a strange gaminess to the soup that he didn’t quite realize he would like as much as he did. As the soup cooled, the cheese turned to curds, and it was a delicious treasure hunt to find them.

“What brought you to our forest, Karamjan?” she asked when he finished eating. “You’re a long way from home.”

He slowly set his bowl and spoon on the side table and painfully slid back to lying down. Despite the stall for time, Riza couldn’t remember for the life of him how he got here. He stared at the ceiling as he tried to work backwards through his memories. For some reason, Malone came to mind. 

_ “Is it that guy with the eye tattoo the one who hurt you?” _

“Um…” He licked his lips. “T-there were some men. Three men. A-and they....” 

As he started that thought, it all came flooding back to him in flashes. He experienced the numb pain of being struck by the mace in the head. He felt the stabbing of the arrow in his calf. He recalled being dragged by the hair, and being blasted through the air by magic. He felt the sharp pain of his face being shoved into the ground, and the scraping of his leg from the thorns of the bushes.

As he remembered these events, his breathing got heavier and his throat dried up. His arms tensed up to the point that he’s quivering. He had never felt anything like the fear that was overtaking him.

“They were h-hunting me. Th-they were trying to kill me!” He looked up at the woman, his pupils quaking. “A-are they still out there!? They could be looking for me! O-one man has an eye on his forehead! ”

He swallowed as hard as his irregular breathing suffocated him - Laying on his back, he could feel every gasp for air with his whole body and his chest felt locked up with tension as his toes curled in fear.

Without looking at him, the woman placed her hand on Riza’s arm with a huff. “No, outlander. We’ve seen no-one like that.” She hesitantly rubbed his arm slowly, and Riza’s shivering subsided slightly.

Riza glanced at the window, then at the door, then at her again. “A-are you sure?” he asked, before pulling his blanket close to him.

The woman shook her head and  _ tsked _ . “How coddled are you, that you can act like a baby?”

“I’m sorry...” Riza squeaked as he scrunched his eyes together and cowered into the blanket. He wanted so desperately to run away, to find somewhere to hide, but he could barely move. His knees twitched, trying to spring up and run, but it only served to agitate his wound.

_ “Riza? Don’t be sorry… you promised to be strong.” _

Conflicted and embarrassed, he put his hand over his mouth in an attempt to blockade his weakness. “I-I’m sorry. I-I’ll be strong,” he cried to both the woman and Kyle. He felt tingly with lightheadedness. 

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” she said.

Riza started coughing dryly, so the woman got him a cup of water to drink. Again she helped him sit up to drink it, and again she ignored his cries of pain. Rehydrating made his head feel a lot cooler, so his thoughts were much less nebulous.

_ Gods, how embarrassing. I can’t believe I cried in front of some random woman.  _ He sighed quietly.  _ Dad would always smother me if I cried like that. This lady doesn’t seem like the type though. She… doesn’t seem to like me that much. _

_ Still, she was nice enough to take me in and take care of me. I wonder if she has a kid? She seems like she knows what she’s doing. _

The woman rested her chin on her fist. She looked bored out of her mind.  _ I guess my wounds can’t be too bad. _

_ … Thank Zamorak I’m alive… I still can’t believe I managed to survive all that...  _ he paused, contemplating the next word,  _ … chaos. _

His mind flashed back to Handelmort’s Mansion, to the words he told himself in encouragement. 

_ “I embraced this challenge, and I’m going to win! …Nothing is going to happen, because I’m going to get myself through this.” _

Through the pain, he felt a weird stillness - though he couldn’t tell if it was from inner peace or hyperventilating. Despite the injuries, despite losing the totem, despite being on the run, he was still alive. In the end, he did embrace the challenge, and he won by the skin of his teeth.

_ … Was this… luck? Or something else? Gods, I really need to make an offering. I feel like I’m really pushing it with all this nonsense. _

“Thank you for taking me in,” Riza said, “I promise to make it up to you when I can walk again.”

“I don’t need your help, outlander. The best way you can help me is by getting better.”

Riza gave her a sideways glance, then sighed softly. “I would… like to try, at least.”

She didn't respond.

“This is Rellekka, you said?” Riza asked. That means I’m north of Seers Village?” He turned his head to her, stopping just short of lying on his head wound. “That makes you Fremennik, right?”

“What of it?”

Riza stared back at the ceiling.  _ Are all the Fremennik this cold? _

“This… isn’t your bed, right? I don’t want to impose— ”

“Of course not.”

_ Whose bed is it, then? Does that mean she DOES have a child? Or a husband?  _ He closed his eyes for a moment.  _ Hmm… The mystery deepens... _

“Oh, sorry, um, I don’t know your name. I’m Ri— ”

She turned suddenly to face him, eyes wide and brow furrowed. “My name is Inga Rockcrusher!” she announced with an almost inappropriately powerful conviction that shook Riza into silence. “Only when you can say your name like this, is when you can tell me yours, outlander!”

Riza’s thoughts were blank. He couldn’t come up with any adequate response other than a frightened nod.

“When you wake up again, I will have some more soup for you to drink with your medicine. That will be the routine until you can walk again.” Inga said, standing up. “The medicine has wine of Guthix in it. it will put you back to sleep soon.”

Almost on cue, an intense dizziness took a hold of him, and the room started spinning wildly. Despite lying down, he felt the same as he did when he rolled down the hill a few nights ago. He grabbed his head, trying to steady himself, and suddenly rolled out of bed. Inga caught him at the last moment, nearly dropping the bowl in her hand.

“Argh, you’re more trouble than you’re worth, outlander!”

“Ooogh… Thank yoU, miss Rockrausher. I… think I almost died?” he slurred out deliriously.

“You’re just drunk.”

“Ohhhh... Isstha… bad? Blease don’t tell my mom.” She set him down on the bed and covered him up again. “M-my mom doesn want me to do what the… aduls do? Does that make sens?”

She silently shook her head. Before she could turn around again, Riza reached out and grabbed her sleeve. She looked back at him with a stiff frown and bulging eyes.

“Uhhm... O-one lass... thing before you go, miss Inca… I-I jus wanted to know w-when is your son coming home...? Will he be mad tha’ I’m sleepy in his bed...?”

“... What did you say?” she breathed. 

Riza’s face scrunched with confusion. With a “... Huh? Oh, sorry mom,” his head and arm flopped down and he promptly fell back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Inga wasn’t kidding about the routine. 

Every day Riza would wake up, once around noon and once in the evening, to medicine and soup. Otherwise he would sleep the rest of the day away. He could only tell the time through the small window on the wall ahead of him, so it was easy to figure out the schedule without asking his unresponsive host.

He would also wake up every night, when Inga had long since went to bed. Left alone, his fevered thoughts would wander - often for the worst. His blood would freeze every time he thought of the woods, and every sound that came from outside the village would rattle him. He would cower in his blanket until he tired himself out. 

Every other day, during the morning, Inga would take the time to help Riza wash himself. His clothes were folded neatly on a dresser by the bed, so he spent his recovery in his undergarments under the blanket. It was embarrassing at first, but the routine normalized it quickly. While the fire from the hearth kept him toasty in the house during the day, he could tell how frigid the climate was during the night. He wondered if his shirt and shorts would be warm enough when he was able to walk again.

The Fremennik, as Riza discovered, had a rich and storied oral tradition that has spanned generations. This meant that there weren’t any books lying around that he could read to pass the time, so he looked to Inga for conversation.

She didn’t seem to be curious about him at all, so most talks they had were one-sided interrogations from Riza. At first, she wasn't keen on answering his questions, but for some of them she caved.

“So your last name is more of a title, right? Where’d you get the name ‘Rockcrusher?”

“Listen carefully, outlander!” she commanded. She always had a frightening amount of conviction when she would tell her epics.

“My soon-to-be-husband and I were venturing out far to the north with our brothers and sisters. The sea was frozen, so we left our boats and traveled on foot to Norrumhal. As our feet fell upon the frozen sand, we were set upon by a mighty rock crab! Hildegurn, the Unmoving! Sasslik was still green with her axe, so she was no match for its great claws. Before she could swing, it was upon her! So I took my hammer, Vulpinmir, and I scaled Hildegurn’s mighty cliffs!”

She had already raised her hand, imitating the brandishing of Vulpinmir. Riza smiled, as could see the eponymous warhammer hanging from a hook by the door behind her.

“The only thought in my mind was to save my sister in arms! _ ”  _ she continued, _ “ _ And so I brought Vulpinmir down with a _crash_! ‘The Unmoving’ indeed, as she shook with such ferocity that her shell crumbled. My brothers dove away from the avalanche, and we all dug Sasslik out from the rubble.  _ That _ is how I earned my name!”

_ Wow, she shattered a mountain for that name!... I guess Inga Rockcrabcrusher doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily. _

His fever went down some time in the middle of the second week, and he was soon waned off the medicine. Inga seemed happy about that, but he figured it was because she didn’t have to buy it anymore. The pain still flared up occasionally, and he tried his best to keep from crying in order to keep his promise to Kyle.

Now that his mind was clearer, he realized that he still wouldn’t be better any time soon, so he wanted to write a letter home. He figured his parents would then come get him and he could finish his recovery in his own bed, and he would stop imposing on Inga. One day he worked up the courage to ask for some paper.

“Um, Miss Rockcrusher?” he asked, struggling to sit up.

“What is it?” As usual, she wouldn’t look at him while she was working at the counter.

“Um… I was wondering if I could have some paper? Or at least something to write home to my family?”

She didn’t answer immediately. By this point Riza knew not to ask again, but instead wait until she cared enough to respond.

“Paper is hard to come by this far north,” she said.” We don’t get mail up here, the merchants bring us news.”

Riza nodded slowly, trying his best to hide the frustration in his face. He waited for what felt like ages for her to continue, but she never did. With a tense anticipation in his chest, he probed again. “Um, so…”

“When you can walk again, you can buy your own paper from the market, outlander. Then you can find someone to deliver your letter.”

Riza dragged his fingers down his face. “... I don’t have any money.” he tried to remind her politely. “The men in the woods stole it.”

“Then, when you can walk, you can work until you can afford it.”

He glared at her.  _ Are you serious!? _

His father’s voice echoed in his mind  _ “Of course not, my friend! For my family, no price is too steep!”. _

“M-my parents are merchants too! They could pay you back for everything, including the paper,” he said.

Nothing. Not even a response to that. In fact, he thought for a moment he saw her rolling her eyes. With a quiet, flippant groan, he flopped back down on the bed, rolling to face the wall. 

_ I can’t believe this! How can she be so dismissive!? I just want to let my mom and dad know I’m alright! Is that so wrong!? _

_ Gods, it’s just so frustrating… If I can walk again, then what’s the point of writing to them!? _

He fumed to himself for most of the day, even though he knew Inga wouldn’t be swayed. Eventually he grew tired of being angry, especially since it made his head hurt even more.

His only hope now was that his parents, or anybody, really, would come for him. He would even be happy if Xenia showed up, if that’s what it took. With the amount of people he knew, surely someone would be looking for him? 

Once his parents find out that he never showed up on Karamja, they’d come looking for him. They have to. Unfortunately, he figured it would take a while for the news to reach Ardougne. Information doesn't move  _ that  _ fast, especially since the mail is so slow.

***

Eventually the day came where Riza could sit up properly on his own reliably. He was tethered to the bed, but awake often enough that he was bored out of his mind. Since he could still use his hands, he offered to help Inga with some menial tasks around the house.

“And what could  _ you _ do to help me, outlander?” she chided.

“I could chop some vegetables for you.”  _ She always has to prepare so many for those meetings she goes to. _

It was a simple enough request, he thought, but Inga dismissed him as usual.

“Pft. That I’d like to see.”

Riza’s frustration boiled hotter than her soup. His shoulders peaked with tension.  _ Gods, Why is she always like this!? _

_ “Riza! You need to speak up for yourself!” T’fruti encouraged. _

Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, he snapped: “Then let me show you!”

He didn’t mean to be so loud, and he regretted it immediately. Inga had been kind enough to let him in her house to heal, and now he was being inexorably rude to her. 

_ “Don’t be sorry, you promised to be strong.” _

He fought the urge to back down and apologize. Inga turned to look at him, something she did rarely when working. 

Riza couldn’t decipher the expression she was giving him. He felt uncomfortable at how foreign this encounter was.

“I see they don’t teach you manners where you come from, outlander.” she said, looking back down at her uncut vegetables as she gathered them to a pile. She picked up one of her small cutting tables and placed it in front of the bed, setting a knife and some carrots on top. “Alright, then, show me!”

He met her gaze with a fierce scowl, his veins pumping with spite and pride. He picked up the knife and brought a carrot in position. With a pair of powerful chops that rattled the counter, he lopped off both ends and slid them into a separate pile. 

“Sliced or diced?” he checked, meeting her gaze again.

“Diced.”

_ “Curl your fingers back,” Mieke reminded him, “and keep your wrist straight. You’ll thank me later.” _

With a slight nod, he started his work. It had been half a month since he last did this, and his wrist ached a bit from under-use. Despite that, within a minute and a half he managed to evenly dice up the dozen carrots she gave him. 

When he finished, he looked up at Inga. Her arms were crossed as she stared at the counter silently. With narrowed eyes, she went back and grabbed two heads of cabbage.

“Do these now.” she challenged, setting the cabbages down and scooping the carrot bits into a bowl.

Riza carefully peeled the dirty and moldy leaves off the heads, then flipped them upside down. His scrawny arm muscles were carefully curated for cutting through thick vegetables, so with a steady sawing he halved, then quartered, the cabbages, removing the cores. Then, with another set of steady chops, the vegetable lay shredded into pieces.

Inga tested Riza’s knowledge of vegetable cutting for the next hour. One by one, they all fell before him. The pumpkin lay gored, the celery was torn asunder, the potato had no survivors, and no tears were shed for the onion. 

Finally, Riza identified Inga’s expression — for the first time in over half a month, she was impressed. As the whole vegetable medley lay before him, he looked up at her and smiled.

“Not bad, outlander. Where did you learn to do all that?”

Something deep inside Riza stirred.  _ Is that… A question about ME, Inga Rockcrusher? _

“My mom taught me how to cook. Most nights I’d help her make dinner.”

“Well then, outlander, if you can help with cooking, then I’ll consider buying you paper.” she said, gathering up the vegetables.

“Really!?”

“We’ll see.”

_ I guess that’s as good a promise as I’m going to get... _

***

After another three weeks, the day finally arrived that he would take his first steps, and with a lot less fanfare than he anticipated. 

On that day, after Inga left in the afternoon with the food they prepared together, Riza sat on the bed staring at the floor. He was preparing himself mentally and physically. 

All he had to do was plant his feet and stand up, the rest he would figure out from there.

_ C’mon… You can do it... _

_ “Embrace all challenges!”  _

_ “Zamorak give you strength!” his parents cheered. _

_ Just… Just do it. You can do it. _

He tried pumping himself up with deep breaths, before realizing he was just heavily breathing and not moving.

_ Maybe I should wait for Inga… _

_ “Riza? You promised you'd be strong?” _

With one large sigh, he closed his eyes to focus.

_ Alright, alright. I can do this…  _

_ “How about this… on the count of three, you’ll stand up?” Malone suggested. _

_ Okay. Fine. Let’s do that. _

_ 1… 2… _

His heart quickened from anticipation.

_...3! _

He stepped off the bed. 

Riza’s weakened right leg surged with a dull pain. He gasped, and hissed as he desperately reached for one of the posts surrounding the hearth. He grabbed onto one of them and propped himself up, taking the pressure off.

_ Okay, now where do I go?  _ he thought with a few more deep breaths. He looked over at the cloth ‘door’ to the house.

_ Outside? Could I even make it that far? … Gods, what I wouldn’t give to get outside the house… _

He shook his head.  _ No, not today. But soon. _

Scanning the room, he tried to find a smaller objective. His gaze landed on the kitchen area.  _ Well… there is that, I suppose. _

Hopping from structure to structure, he slowly made his way around the hearth to the kitchen. He hadn’t anticipated how exhausting this all would be. Practically falling onto the counter, he pulled himself up. It was littered with the remnants of ingredients she would use to make dinner later.

_ Now, where would she put them... _

After some light rummaging, he found the bones from what he assumed to be the yak meat. He took a small shard, about the size of his thumb.

_ Finally, I can make a proper offering in peace… or, wait… _

The offering required a bit of blood to coat the bone. He contemplated using his own, but that would risk him having a mysterious bandage, or potentially reopening his wounds.

_ Dammit. Nothing can be easy around here... Oh well, I'm sure Zamorak will understand. _

After turning around, and leaning on the counter, he tossed the bone shard into the fire. While he couldn’t kneel, he could at least cross his fingers in prayer without Inga’s prying eyes watching him.

_ Lord Zamorak,  _ he started,  _ lend me your valor that we may spread our glory across the land. _

He frowned and tilted his head.  _ … and I’m sorry that I haven’t offered anything in a month. _

It was a standard prayer to conspire for mutual greatness, that together they would accomplish their goals. He had enough strength on his own, or at least he was going to, and inspiration wasn't particularly needed at the moment.

Feeling satisfied and pious, Riza slowly dragged himself back to the bed. He flopped down and covered himself up, and then rested his head over his hands. The high of his accomplishment made the rest of the day a little brighter, and he felt hopeful for the future for the first time in a while.

***

It took another week and a half of walking around the house in secret before Riza felt confident enough to try and go outside. In that time he was able to make two more offerings, in preparation for the big day.

To help alleviate the soreness, he tried changing how he walked a few times to see if it got easier. He was disappointed when nothing seemed to help, but at least he had his strength back. 

When Inga had left for one of her meetings, he threw off his blanket and stood up. He learned through practice to take it slow, and not to hesitate. Once he was on his feet, the numb pain would jolt for a second, and Kyle’s reminder would ring in his head. 

Riza grinned to himself at his progress. After languishing in bed for so long, he could finally do something for himself. 

_ “Oh! My boy! My darling boy!”  _

_“When did you grow so strong!?”_ _his parents encouraged._

_ Alright. Now let’s do this! _

The chill from the window on his skin reminded him that he was still partially naked.  _ Oh, yeah, I’ll probably need to get dressed first. _

With a limp and a hunch, he shuffled his way over to the dresser. He reflected on how weird it was, missing the feeling of wearing his own clothes. He easily slipped on his shirt, then picked up his shorts and stared. 

_ … I… really didn’t think about this part. _

Filled with determination and few options, he leaned against the dresser and struggled to get them over his legs. He nearly fell over, almost ruining the whole expedition, but through sheer determination he managed to keep his balance. 

He slipped on his shoes, though his right foot was swollen and barely fit, then made his way to the door. He didn’t realize that his face was brightening with excitement with each step. With heavy breaths and a trembling hand, he parted the curtain to the outside world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing that hit Riza was the brisk, fresh air, and the white light in his eyes adjusting. Like he anticipated, he felt the chill on his shoulders as his loose fitting shirt billowed in the sea breeze.

It was so much brighter outside then he remembered, and also a lot greyer - The ground was mostly rocky soil, and the sky was brightly overcast. All the houses were made of the same paneled wood that was driven into the ground. Ahead of him was a slope that led up to the side of a long, important looking building. 

Riza squinted, looking up and down the road. There were a few people out and about, but he was, for the most part, alone. He released his death grip on the door frame and took his first few steps down the road.

Inga’s small cottage was averagely sized, compared to everyone else's. Behind many of the houses were small fenced backyards where plants grew or chickens roamed. 

_ Where should I go from here?  _ he thought, as he took in his surroundings.

_ “The general store! To buy some paper,” Malone answered. _

_ I don’t know where that is, idiot. _

_“We could look around together,”_ _Kyle suggested_.

_ I suppose. What if we—  _

Riza froze as he spotted a large, grey dog stampeding towards him. He yelled with a start, and flashed back to Handelmort’s manor. As he fell backwards, he felt the woolen carpet beneath him, and his thumb pulsed in pain with an imaginary cut. He snapped back to reality when he hit the hard, rocky ground. Stopping briefly, the dog barked happily, and then trotted around Riza to lick his face.

_ Dammit!  _ Riza thought as he pushed the dog away.  _ You stupid dog! How am I supposed to get up now!? _

The dog didn’t pick up the cue, and walked over to nuzzle him again. Riza’s heart sank as guilt overtook him.

_ I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. You didn’t know,  _ he thought as he scratched behind its ears. 

“Jormun!” cried a young man running down the road. “Bad dog! Get off of him!”

Riza looked up and saw a tall, lanky boy, just a few years older than him, striding down the road. His long cloak was adorned with thick, yellow fur, and most of the left half of his face was tattooed blue. He stopped over Riza, his arms curled close as he hesitated for his next action.

“A-are you alright, outlander!?” he stammered. “D-did, uhm, is your wound okay? I-it didn’t open, did it?”

Riza stared blankly at the boy.  _ That voice... _

_ “J-jormun! Th-that’s a boy! A human boy!” _

_ You’re the one who found me in the bushes. You and your dad saved my life. _

The boy tensed up. “I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to-”

“Uh… It’s okay. I’m fine.” Riza said quietly.  _ Don’t be upset _ .  _ I wanted to thank you. _

“Hahah! Oh, thank Guthix…” he laughed, nervously. “Oh! Uhm, uh, d-do you need help up?”

_ “Sorry, sweetie! I-I thought you needed help up!” Maddie exclaimed. _

Riza nodded. “Uh… Yeah, please.” 

The boy spent some time trying to figure out how best to pick Riza up. He reached out and pulled his arms back many times before finally deciding on lifting him up from under his shoulders. 

Riza was baffled at how strong he was. As he helped Riza back onto his feet, he apologized again as Riza hissed in pain.

“A-are you, uh, are you lost, outlander? Do you need help back to Inga’s house?” he asked.

_ No, I don’t want to go back yet!  _ Riza sharply shook his head.

“Uh, oh, okay.” He scratched his chin. “I guess you’re just getting some fresh air, huh? Th-that makes sense.”

The boy looked over at the long building and stared. Riza watched as his face visibly contorted while mulling something over.

_ How long has it been since I’ve talked to someone other than Inga? I haven’t felt this nervous in a really long time. _

_ “Heehee… Don’t mind him, ma’am. He’s really nervous around strangers,” T’fruti giggled. _

“Uhm. How about this,” the boy started, “w-we do a quick walk around the village, then I take you back to Inga’s house. Ah, H-how does that sound?”

_ You don’t need to talk to me like a kid. I can do this by myself. _

_“Yeah, until you fall on your butt again, and then what?” Kyle chided._ _“Go with him for now, it’ll be safer that way.”_

“... Uhm, okay. Let’s do that.”

“A-alright! Let’s go, then!” he reached his hand out to take Riza’s, before pulling it back and biting the tip of his thumb. “Uh, do you… need help walking?”

Riza shook his head silently, then started limping on ahead. The boy whistled for Jormun, and the three of them slowly walked down the road together.

“Uh, my name is, uh, Irwinsson, by the way. What’s yours, outlander?”

_ Huh. I thought you guys had to yell your names at each other. _

“Um… I’m Riza,” he mumbled. “It’s uh… It’s nice to meet you.”

“Reesa, you said? I- Actually, I’m— my father was the one who found you in the woods.”

_ Liar, _ Riza thought, looking at him sideways _.  _ “It’s Riza. with a ‘z.”

“Oh! Sorry. I-I was just saying this wasn’t the first time we met, Riza.”

“Don’t be sorry.”  _ You promised to be strong.  _ “Uh… Thank you, for saving me, by the way.”

Irwinsson chuckled nervously. “Ahah… You don’t need to thank  _ me _ . I-I didn’t do anything.”

The three of them followed the road around the hill. Riza could see the double door entrance of the long building, flanked by two tough looking warriors guarding it.

"S-so, uhm…" Irwinsson started, "That’s the longhall. Only, um, true Fremennik are allowed inside."

_ Interesting. What's a 'true Fremennik?' _

"Oh, but, uh, r-right now the council of elders are meeting. So nobody can go in. Uh, y’know, besides them.”

Irwinsson fidgeted with his hands a bit while Riza continued to stare. “Uhhh… Oh, hey, This way’s the entrance to the village.”

He took Riza’s hand and turned him around. The road into town led straight to the longhall, passing through a simple gateway. Beyond it was…

Time froze, and not just because Irwinsson’s hands were freezing cold. 40 feet away from him were the gnarled, dense trees of the forest. Thick evergreens created a southern wall to the village, hiding monsters and horrors within their shadows as an overcast-grey fog seeped between their boughs.

Riza tried to take a breath, but couldn’t. With a step back, he quickly scanned the darkness between the trees, looking for the men who attacked him. He gasped when he spotted a small shadow run up a tree.

_ “How is that BRAT still ALIVE?”  _ he heard the shrill wizard complain behind him.

Riza turned around quickly, his eyes wide and trembling. The short man wasn’t there — just the two guards to the longhall.

“R-Riza? A-are you okay?”

Irwinsson’s question startled Riza, and he tried to spring into a sprint, but his feet got tangled, and he fell to the ground

“Ow, shit!” 

Irwinsson tensed up, stammering out a few half-words before kneeling down to help him. "I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

"G-get away from me!" Riza yelled with panicked breaths, as he slapped Irwinsson’s hand away with wildly swinging arms. Irwinsson kept trying to get a hold of him, only to be kicked or knocked back.

"Hey, Irwinsson, is he giving you trouble?" asked one of the guards in front of the longhall.

"N-no! He's fine! Or, I mean, I'm fine, Arvald!" he responded with a wave.

“If you say so…” Arvald shrugged.

Irwinsson turned back to Riza, continuing to try and hold him, and said "R-Riza! It's okay! P-please, calm down!"

Jormun managed to squeeze his big, fluffy head in-between Riza's flailing limbs. Upon seeing the dog's dopey face, and feeling his warm fur envelop him, Riza's panic started melting away. Catching his breath again, he gave Jormun an appreciative scratch.

Irwinsson reached out his hand again with a worried smile. "A-are you okay? You didn't, uh, you didn't scratch yourself, did you?"

Jormun stepped off, and Riza accepted Irwinsson’s assistance and stood up. 

_ “Aren’t you glad you went with him?” Kyle teased. _

_ Stoooop! I get it, you were right. _

He shook his head, and muttered "I'm fine." He kept glancing at the forest, keeping an eye out for the men within. 

"G-good. I'm glad," Irwinsson said as he stood between him and the gate, blocking his view. He looked up at the longhall, then back at Riza. "Hey, w-why don't we go back to Inga’s house? I'm sorry I pushed you into doing this."

Riza stared at the floor.  _ No! I don't want to go back! Stop asking! _

“... no, not yet.”

Irwinsson frowned. "A-are you sure? Uhm…"

He looked around, then back at the longhall, then back at Riza. "Well, how about we go to the docks to get some air, then I'll take you back."

He pointed down the road leading behind the longhall. Riza could see the ocean downhill in the distance. 

"Yeah… that sounds good," Riza said.

The three of them continued their journey. Up ahead, they saw a group of youths chatting to each other off to the side. As Riza and Irwinsson approached, the teenagers stopped their conversation and turned to watch them.

_ What's their problem? _

"T-that's, um, Armod's gan- er, the chief’s son and his friends," Irwinsson mumbled "Um, I-I wouldn't bother with them, if I were you."

_ I wonder if they heard me yelling earlier? How embarrassing. _

They continued glaring at the two of them as they walked by, periodically whispering to each other. Riza noticed how, despite being older than them, Irwinsson avoided their gaze.

As they cleared the judgemental eyes of Armod’s gang, a marketplace came up on their left.

_ "Ah! We found the market! Shall we look for paper?" Malone asked. _

_ Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Thanks for reminding me! _

Riza wandered off between the stalls. Irwinsson stammered a "hey!" before chasing after him.

Riza was oddly comforted wandering within a marketplace, though this one wasn't nearly as loud or as colorful as the one in Ardougne. The most common ware being peddled was food, followed by animal byproducts, at prices that were a lot steeper than he was used to. Most of the vendors either paid him no mind or outright ignored his presence, so he wandered around freely with Irwinsson close behind him.

"H-hey, you don’t want to get lost in here," Irwinsson warned.

_ I would never get lost in a marketplace! _

Riza's face lit up as he spotted a stall that was selling general goods. He hobbled over quickly, taking a spot next to another boy his age to look over the goods.

_ Knives… pots… gods, it’s mostly cookware. I wonder if Inga shops at this one. _

Irwinsson caught up behind Riza and looked over his head at the stall. "A-are you, um, looking for something in particular?"

"Uh… paper," Riza responded despondently, "and I'm not seeing any."

"I was looking for some as well, outlander, but it looks like they're sold out," said the other boy.

Riza turned to look at him. He didn't register that the boy had been staring at him since he came up to the stall. His complexion was more peachy than the other Fremennik, and he wore much brighter clothing, including the snow-white fur of a small doglike creature adorned on his cloak.

“I was hoping to stock up on more parchment before returning home,” the boy said, “but alas...” He brushed his blonde bangs off his forehead. 

Irwinsson perked up. “Oh, w-were you here for the ceremony?” he asked.

“Yes, and what a ceremony it was,” he responded dully. “I’m happy, though, that at least one of your youths made it this year.”

“Y-yeah.Thank Guthix, right?”

Distracted by disappointment, Riza faded out of the conversation. He managed to find some inkwells and pens, though they cost five times as much as they did back home. He made a mental note of the price for the future.

“But you’re in need of parchment, outlander?” the boy asked Riza suddenly.

“Yeah. I wanted to write home, to let my parents know that I’m here.”

“Oh, dear, that sounds important. How did you end up separated from them?”

_ “Then you’re going to help me with a request I received.” _

_ “Is this the one, Mrs. Sinclair? The Karamjan boy?” _

_ “Tch… lucky brat…” _

_ “Is this child the only thing you’ve hit all night, Irwinsson?” _

Riza stared ahead, lost in his memories.

“Uh… W-we found him in the woods. He was, uh, he was attacked by some, uh, th-three-eyed men,” Irwinsson stammered.

_ … Is that the version of the story they told him? _

“Three-eyed men in the forest? How frightening.” The boy’s low eyebrows arched in surprise. He glanced down at Riza’s bandaged leg. “It sounds like you’ve been through quite the ordeal.”

Riza met the boy’s concerned stare.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” the boy said with sad, sincere eyes.

Something twisted inside Riza’s chest. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t find the words. A pause hung in the air, and Irwinsson was about to break it until Riza spoke up.

“Don’t be sorry,” he finally said. “It’s not your fault.”

“Hm, well,” the boy started, digging into his pouch, “this doesn’t make up for much, but…”

He pulled out a few folded sheets of paper and handed them to Riza. “I want you to have this. So that you may see your parents again.”

“N-no, it’s alright! Thank you!” Riza said immediately, ignoring everything in his mind telling him to accept it. “M-my, uh, the lady who’s taking care of me said she was going to buy me paper s-someday, a-and I don’t want to make her— ”

Riza’s ramble and heart stopped as the boy took his hand and stuffed the paper in it. “Please, I insist. There’s nothing more important than family.”

“I-I mean… I… I c-can’t…” Trembling, and wanting desperately to melt into the floor, Riza frowned and stared at the gift. His leg wound throbbed with pain as his guilt coursed through his body. “I.. I don’t have any money, I can’t pay you—”

“You don’t pay people for a gift!” the boy teased with a smile.

“I-I thought you were trying to stock up on paper, though!” Riza said, trying to hand it back to him.

“I have plenty at home already. Please, I insist!” he responded, pushing his hand back.

Riza, now a complete mess, reluctantly gave up the fight. “Th-thank you,” he sputtered out. “I p-promise I’ll pay you back.”

Irwinsson hesitantly put his hand on Riza’s shoulder. “Hey, Riza, w-we should head back to Inga’s.”

“Already?”

“Y-yeah, I’m sorry, if we don’t go now, then we’ll run into everyone leaving the meeting.”

_ I guess that’s true… I shouldn’t push my luck any further. _

“Alright. Let’s head back.” Riza turned to the other boy one last time. “Thank you, again, for the paper, uh...”

“Brand,” he said, taking Riza’s hand with both of his. “And thank  _ you  _ for telling me your story, Riza. I’ll keep an ear open for your deeds in the future.”

_ Yeah… We’ll see. _ He smiled awkwardly.

“And actually, I need to find out where my sister went off to,” Brand continued, “I hope to speak with you again someday.”

They all waved at each other as Brand wandered off into the crowd. 

“Uhm… You can’t run, can you?” Irwinsson asked.

“No. I don’t think I can.”

Irwinsson bit on his thumb. “Hmm… then let's do this.”

Before he realized what was happening, Riza felt Irwinsson crawl underneath him, and was lifted up into the air on his shoulders.

“Whoa, y-you’re… a l-lot lighter than you look. Is Inga feeding you enough?” Irwinsson asked.

“Y-yeah, I think so…” Riza responded, trying to keep his balance.

“Alright, then let’s go!”

With long strides on his stick-like legs, and Jormun galloping along behind them, the two of them made their way out of the market. He ran down the road, back the way they came. Armod and his friends had gone off somewhere, much to Irwinsson’s relief.

From atop Irwinsson’s shoulders, Riza felt a sense of contentment he hadn’t in a while. He reminisced about the times he would play with Kyle and Malone around Ardougne, and it made him wistful for home.

_ But now I have that paper, which means I can finally write for my parents to pick me up, to let them know that I’m okay! _

_ Gods, it’s been so long since I’ve seen them! I really miss Mom’s cooking. And the store. And my bed, I definitely miss my bed. _

He could feel the silence of his friends in his mind.

_ And I miss the both of you. I guess. _

_ “You guess!?” _

_ “How rude.” _

_ I wonder if Inga has anything I can use as a pen? How do I even ask for that without giving away that I was outside? Dammit, I should have asked—  _

“Irwinsson! What do you think you’re doing!?” a man from the longhall yelled as Irwinsson came to a skidding halt.

***

Minutes ago, around when Riza fell over in front of the longhall, there was a raucous bickering within its closed doors. Among the dozen or so people gathered was Inga Rockcrusher, who sat cross-legged on the floor around a large fire in the front of the hall. A young lady stood in the shadows of a bar, diligently wiping down mugs and glasses.

A bearded man with an eyepatch sat on a raised platform across from the door. His cloak was decorated with many different furs, and he held an ornate warhammer in his right hand. His black and gold helmet, the mark of the chief, cast a heavy shadow over his remaining eye as he contemplated the angry voices of the Fremennik council.

“That outlander is dangerous, Brundt!” cried one woman to the chief. “No doubt those ‘three-eyed men in the woods’ are some dark spirits from Karamja,  _ or wherever, _ haunting him.”

Inga, her expression heavy, shook her head. “He’s just a boy, Sasslik.” 

“Open your eyes, Inga!” Sasslik shouted back at her. “Remember all the things you’ve told me!”

She turned back to the council. “‘Just a boy’ doesn’t  _ burn bones _ in the hearth! Guthix only knows what dark deeds he gets up to when he’s alone!” She paused, then steadily said “Like a filthy follower of Zamorak!”

“Burning BONES, Inga?” asked Irwinsson’s father, his eyebrow arched. “You never told us that!”

Inga crossed her arms. “I.. I only found them in the hearth the other day. I didn’t want to think about what it meant.”

“And what about when he asked you about your son?” Sasslik continued. “The first day he ever met you, and somehow he knew that Lokar was gone?”

“He was DRUNK on the MEDICINE!” Inga hissed. “He didn’t know what he was saying.”

“No, he was drunk, and the truth slipped out!”

“What was in the medicine that would make him drunk?” asked a portly man nursing a large stein of beer.

“Wine of Guthix, if I’m not mistaken,” offered a white-eyed man who swayed as he talked. “Perhaps Guthix saw fit to channel the evils out of the boy through His wine?”

“With all due respect, Peer, Wine of Guthix doesn’t work like that.” called the woman behind the bar.

“Thora!” Brundt scolded in a booming voice. “You know better than to interrupt us!”

The bartender shrugged with one shoulder and continued wiping down glasses.

“This is all irrational speculation!” Inga proclaimed, gesturing towards Irwinsson’s father. “Sigli, you saw the boy with your own eyes! Did those look like the wounds from ‘dark spirits’?”

Sigli shook his head. “Those arrows were real, I watched as Tallim snapped the arrow out of his calf. But I know nothing about these three-eyed men. Irwinsson was the one who found him, and he says he was alone.”

Sasslik sat down, shaking her head. “A bad omen, that’s all he is.” She pointed at Brundt. “Have you not noticed that ever since he arrived, your son, and Olaf’s son, and Peer’s daughter, and all the other youths have been unable to pass their trials?”

“You’re blinded, Sasslik,” Inga pleaded. “They’ve all failed their trials for longer than the outlander has been here!”

“And I bet they would have passed this last time if he hadn’t been around!”

An older man, whose face was lost in his large beard, slapped his hand on the ground and pointed at Sasslik. “I will not have you tarnish my daughter’s name!” he announced in a deep, gravely voice before coughing, “Bryll has joined her brothers as a true Fremennik champion!”

“Of course, Thok. I mean no disrespect.”

Thok descended into more coughs, as everyone else sat in silence. 

“What are you proposing, then? To exile an injured boy?” asked a peach-skinned girl sitting next to Brundt. “Why, then, don’t you skip a step and throw him into a pit of wolves? Surely your ‘problem’ would be solved.”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but this is an issue of the Rellakans, not of Miscellania,” Sasslik responded, with a hint of dismissiveness in her voice.

The portly man, his now glass empty, stood and walked to the bar, conversing quietly with Thora.

“It’s not an issue of jurisdiction, it’s an issue of humanity.” the girl replied. “Would you exile your youths who failed their own trials when they become a ‘problem’ too?”

There was no response as the girl scanned the room.

“Ohhohoh, would you look at that?” The portly man laughed quietly in the background.

“Manni? What’s so funny?” Brundt called.

“Huh? Oh, Thora was just showing me, out the window, you can see Irwinsson carrying the outlander on his shoulders. What a nice kid.”

Some of the council stood up and peeked out the window. A few chuckled at the sight.

One man with an ornate, horned helmet laughed. “You really raised a soft one, Sigli! What a  _ kind  _ boy.” 

“Already, he’s got our boys under his thumb,” Sasslik spat while shaking her head. 

Sigli’s face turned a beet red as he stormed towards the door of the longhall. Brundt slammed the hilt of his hammer on the platform he was sitting on. “Enough! The council will come to a vote. Who believes that we should exile the outlander!?”

Sasslik, Thok, and Peer raised their hands, followed by a man with a knotted beard, a man with some impressive eyebrows, and a bearded man with a hood.

“Hmm… It seems you’re in the minority, Sasslik,” Brundt said.

“Sigli hasn’t voted yet.”

The huntsman had pushed the doors wide open and was yelling down at his son. Brundt slowly rose to his feet, his piled-fur cloak making him look like a grassy hill rising from the earth. With a heavy stride and a slight limp, he followed Sigli, with some of the others right behind him.

***

“What do you think you’re doing, prancing up and down the village with an outlander on your shoulders!?” Sigli yelled, shaking his fists.

Irwinsson stammered and struggled to find the words to respond to his father’s yelling. Riza’s heart had fallen below his knees as he saw the other adults pouring out of the hall, Inga among them. 

One man stood out from the crowd as he exited the building behind Sigli. He wasn’t as tall as some of them, but the mountain of dark furs on his shoulders made him both impressive and intimidating. 

“I-Irwinsson, maybe you should put me down.” Riza said.

“R-Riza? A-are you sure?” Irwinsson asked, looking back at him.

“Don’t ignore me, boy! Listen to me when I speak to you!”

Riza nodded, and so Irwinsson set him down gently. Sigli came storming down the hill towards his son, who curled up his arms tightly at his approach.

“I’m disappointed in you, Irwinsson. You should know better than this!”

_ Know better than what? To help an injured person walk around town!? _

“I’m sorry, father! I-I didn’t mean to!” he cried as Sigli took him by his arm.

“Sigli!” the man in furs called from the hall. “The council has voted. What’s your say?”

Sigli, who had already dragged Irwinsson halfway to the house by the gate, turned around and spat “Get rid of him, for all I care! He’s nothing but trouble!”

“No! What!? Father, you can’t!”

“Then by my authority as chief, it’s decided,” the man declared as two of the council marched towards Riza, who was frozen in place. They grabbed him firmly by the arms, and his breaths quickened.

_ Wh-what? What’s happening!? _

“Forgive us, outlander,” the chief said, “but the agreement was always that when you can stand again, then you may leave.”

The girl next to him, who looked like Brand, shook her head and went back into the longhall. Riza could see Inga’s stone face watching him. His heart dropped as he realized he was being kicked out.

“So go. Take your problems with you and never return.”

Riza felt the men taking him towards the gate. He realized he was about to be thrown into the forest again, to be hunted by the three men.

“N-no! You can’t! Please!”

He kicked and pleaded for them to let him stay, but nobody seemed to be swayed. The council flooded back into the longhall, abandoning him to his fate, and other villagers watching the scene merely shook their heads at his protests. 

“P-please! Y-you can’t! The men, they're out there! Th-they’ll kill me!”

He saw Irwinssson, fear and worry on his face, as they watched each other being dragged away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading.


	11. Chapter 11

The men released Riza with a forceful nudge just outside the gate. Every muscle in the back of his body was coiled tightly, and the hairs on his neck bristled. His heart shook his entire body into a tremor with each beat. The men said something to him before turning away, but he couldn’t hear it over the ringing in his ears, or between his heavy breaths. 

His arms shriveled closer and closer to his body, gnarling and curling like his memory of the trees behind him. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around - he knew if he did, it would be the last thing he would ever see before an arrow ended his life. Instead, he stared at the ground ahead of him.

“P-please….” he squeaked under his breath. “Y-you can’t…”

He knew he wasn’t speaking to anyone, as the men had already made their way back to the gate. The two guards said something to each other, but Riza could only make out low mumbles. 

“P-please….”

He hunched himself over, curling tighter into himself. His jaw and brows clenched together. He wanted to yell, to scream, to hide, to run, but he knew he was out of options. Either he would have to face what was behind him, or die here outside of the village.

“Hey, back up, outlander,” Arvald called. “You can’t just stand in the entryway like that.”

Riza snapped his eyes open. “Oh, I-I’m sorry…”

“Heh, he sounds like Irwinsson,” said the other guard.

_How dare you..._

“Erik, come on, he’s clearly struggling,” Arvald scolded. He pointed his spear at something behind Riza. “Hey, why don’t you go sit at the marker until you can… I dunno, work up some courage?”

_The marker? What marker?_

Riza started tilting his head to look behind him, before snapping back forward.

_C’mon, j-just take a quick look. Surely the guards would notice if the men in the… if the men were there. Really quickly, just turn and take a peek._

Unconvinced, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine his friends standing besides him.

_K-kyle? Malone? Will you look with me? Y-you wouldn’t lie to me, right?_

_“Of course we’ll look. You don’t even have to ask,” Kyle responded._

_O-okay._ He imagined taking their hands, despite knowing his fingers were tightly interlocked over his chest.

_“Okay, on three.” Malone suggested._

_Right. Okay. On three. 1…_

_2…_

Riza quickly spun around and spotted a stone marker engraved with large runescript immediately behind him. There were a set of three steps up to it that he could sit on. The trees came into focus in his periphery, and he turned back towards the village with a start.

_D-did you see them!?_

_“Not this time, no. You’re safe here, I think.”_

Riza nodded to himself. _That makes sense. They wouldn’t attack me near a town, right?_

_“I mean, probably.”_

Knowing he took way too much time already, he slowly started inching his way backwards to the marker. After a few steps, he heard a bush rustle softly behind him, and he froze up.

“You’re… You’re fine, outlander. It was a rabbit or something,” Arvald said, his face sunken. “Just keep going..”

_“It’s okay, you’re safe for now,” Kyle reassured him._

Riza nodded and kept sneaking away from the safe haven he’d placed his trust in for a month. Eventually the back of his foot tapped the base of the marker, and he froze in place again.

_“We’re here,” Malone remarked. He framed his chin with his fingers and said “Have I ever told you about the time I visited the stone marker outside of Rellekka?”_

_“Malone! Now’s not the time!” Kyle said as they pushed Malone._

After climbing the first step, Riza slowly sat down, the aches from his bandaged leg reminding him of his injuries. He brought his knees in close and nestled his head on his folded arms. 

_S-so this is it, huh? I’m… on my own, now._

_Kyle and Malone sat down as well, flanking him. “I mean, we’re here.”_

Riza’s heart twisted and he shook his head.

 _No, You’re not here!_ he thought. _You’re both home, in Ardougne. Where my family is. Where my room, my things, my friends, my LIFE is. Not in this freezing fucking cold village where everyone hates me!_

He shuddered. He wanted to cry these feelings out of him, but like everything else, he felt like something was stopping him.

_“... Perhaps we shouldn’t have stolen that totem.”_

_Yeah, no shit, Malone._

_“But everything seemed like it was going so well.”_

_It always does, until it doesn’t,_ he thought with a sigh. _So what do you guys think? Should I just suck it up and go into the… and go down the road?_

He imagined that they fidgeted a bit, unable to answer _. Yeah, I thought so._

The wind picked up a bit, blowing frigid air over Riza’s loose-fitting clothing. He had ignored the burning cold on his skin until now, when he had no hearth or bed to return to.

The minutes spent sitting on the steps of the marker turned into hours, yet time seemingly stood still. No villagers walked by the gate, the guards barely moved from their position, and no critters bounded across the path. Riza couldn’t even tell if the sun was moving behind the overcast clouds.

_Kyle rubbed their bare arms and shivered. “It’s cold out.”_

_It’s been cold out._

_“... Maybe you should consider starting a fire?”_

Riza didn’t respond.

_“I guess that was a stupid question.”_

They sat in silence, as the cold eventually got to Malone as well. 

The only change came when a pair of fresh guards arrived to change shifts with Arvald and Erik. This time it was a young woman and a man standing in front of the gate, who asked about Riza’s presence in hushed mumbles. The woman walked up to him after some time.

“Outlander, are you awake?” she asked softly, kneeling down to meet Riza’s gaze.

His eyes drifted away from hers as he sat silently.

“If you’d like, I could walk with you down the road to Seers Village?” She flexed her shield arm in front of him. “That way, you’ll have a mighty Fremennik warrior protecting you! How does that sound?”

_Kyle stood up angrily. “Now you think you can talk to him like a child!? After what you put him through!?”_

_“You don’t know what he saw!” Malone shouted. “Those men will kill you too if they have the chance!”_

After waiting patiently, the lady frowned sadly at Riza’s lack of response. “Alright, then, outlander. Just… let me know if you change your mind,” she said as she stood up and returned to her post.

_“Riza… You need to do something.” Kyle said, sitting down again and shivering. “You’ll freeze to death out here.”_

The ensuing silence spoke volumes between the three friends, and the two imaginary ones grimaced at the implications. Kyle and Malone leaned towards Riza, shuddering as they squeezed him tightly. 

The irony wasn’t lost on Riza - the only thing left to keep him warm didn’t actually exist.

***

Back in the village Irwinsson was curled up on his bed. A candle dimly lit the sparsely furnished room, flickering orange hues across the furs on the walls and floor. Jormun was getting his evening dose of pets, resting his head on his master’s lap. 

Irwinsson’s cheeks had long since dried, but he could still feel the channels his earlier tears ran down. His sniffling hadn’t stopped yet, though, and neither had his guilt. 

He shook his head and sighed. Jormun pawed at Irwinsson to continue giving him pets.

This wasn't the first time his father yelled at him like this. Gielinor would crumble and fall into the void before his father acknowledged he did something right.

He knew why his father was so strict. He would have to take responsibility to hunt and provide for the village someday. Unfortunately Sigli made the grave error of passing the role to him, the failure, Irwinsson.

He wondered what would have happened if he had never crossed paths with Riza earlier that morning. He came up with hundreds of alternate realities — all a utopian paradise as far as he was concerned.

Jormun's ears perked up, then he hopped off the bed, curling up on the floor. That was the telltale sign that his father was coming up the ladder. A few seconds later, Sigli’s voice came from behind the curtain to the room.

“Irwinsson. May I come in?”

Irwinsson had always wondered what would happen if he said no.

“Yes, father,” he said obediently.

Sigli parted the curtain and stepped into the room. Irwinsson preemptively recited his father’s half-apology in his mind.

“Hey, are you feeling better, now?” he asked, gruffly.

“Yes, father.”

“Good. That’s good.” He put his hands on his hips, turning to look out the window.

“You know, Irwinsson, I’m only hard on you because you carry a lot of responsibility for the tribe.”

“Yes, I know, father.”

“You’re no longer a child, Irwinsson, you can’t keep playing around like that. Everyone needs to do their part.”

“Yes, father.”

“That outlander…” He gestured with his hand. “He… Even if he wasn’t dangerous, imagine if he were from a bandit camp, or from the Moon clan, or a pirate. You have no way of knowing what dangers he could have brought to the village.”

“...”

Usually, at this part of the lecture, Irwinsson would say “Yes, father” or “You’re right, father”, followed by “I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again.” But this time he didn’t.

“... Do you understand what I’m saying to you?” Sigli asked sternly.

Irwinssson bit his bottom lip. This time he felt different, like something burned deep within him.

_What was it that Riza said to Brand?_

_“Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault.”_

_That’s right. It wasn’t my fault._

_It wasn’t ANYBODY’S fault!_

Irwinsson opened his mouth and breathed in sharply, but couldn’t find the courage to say what he wanted to his father’s face. Instead, he stared down at his lap and hunched his shoulders.

“I understood, father,” he stuttered, “b-but you’re wrong!”

He instinctively winced. This was so utterly foreign to him. 

He continued after a dumbfounded pause. “Th-there was nothing wrong with helping the outlander!” he cried. “I-I knew what I was doing. I’m th-the one who made the decision to help him walk around. A-and I did it because I knew there was nothing wr-wrong with it!”

Irwinsson looked up at his father and met his wide-eyed stare.

"You don't–" Sigli started.

“I’ve passed my trials, father! Y-you… You can’t treat me like a child anymore!"

Irwinsson lowered his head, but maintained his defiant scowl. “Y-you’re just embarrassed that I couldn’t pass yours. A-and you took that out on Riza."

Irwinsson stared down at his hands as he picked at his nails. With a deep sigh, Sigli turned back to the window and leaned his arm against the top. 

“S-so… I’m sorry, father, but I can’t promise I wouldn’t do it again.”

Sigli shook his head. 

“No,” he said. “I’m sorry, Irwinsson.” With that, he said no more as he left the room. 

Irwinsson let go of the breath he had been holding for the past few minutes. He leaned back against the wall, eyes upturned as a wave of exhaustion washed over him, and a knot over his chest unwound.

His mind quickly cycled between regret and relief, replaying what had just happened over and over again. Even as feeling returned to his face, the surge of emotions cancelled each other out, and he experienced a strange calm.

Once the coast was clear, Jormun hopped back up on the bed. Irwinsson, snapping back to reality, smiled sadly as he resumed petting his dog. Though he had thought his tears were dried up for the day, the exhilarating freedom he suddenly felt caused his eyes to start flooding again.

***

The longhall was as busy as ever that evening. The Great Hearth in the center of the room roared with a mighty flame, and the shadows cast from the trophies adorning the walls danced in revelry. Old heroes drank, ate, and laughed at the long tables running along the walls. Thora the Barkeep effortlessly paced the perimeter and kept their glasses full.

A bard from an allied kingdom was playing a stringed instrument upon a platform in the back. He sang of an ancient crusade to a light crowd who listened loudly to the tale.

The bonfire was outfitted with a spit operated by Manni the Reveler, who drooled as he slowly roasted a glistening boar over the open flame. Brundt the Chieftain, was planted on his low platform from earlier, watching the embers flicker before him. His warhammer was gripped firmly in his right hand, and a stein of ale was nestled in his left.

He took a long drink, savoring the bittersweet flavor as his anxieties melted away. One gulp was for the youths who failed a second year of their trials, another for the earful that Princess Astrid gave him for exiling the outlander, and a final for the omens within the forest that Peer told him about this afternoon. 

He set down his glass and closed his eye, head upturned, as his inhibitions steamed away. “Do you have need of me, Inga Rockcrusher?” he asked.

Inga, who waited patiently in his periphery, stepped forward, a bowl of soup in one hand, a stein in the other. “May I join you?”

With his free hand, Brundt gestured for her to sit. 

She took her place, cross-legged on the floor next to the platform and offered him the bowl. “Have you eaten yet, Brundt?”

With a low grumble of acknowledgement, he reached down and accepted her gift. “You’re spoiling me, Inga. You offer me things I can never refuse,” he said as he started eating.

Inga took over watching Manni cook the pig. She took a swig of her drink as the chief loudly devoured his soup.

“How are you feeling?” Brundt asked suddenly, still hunched over his meal.

“What do you mean?”

“I remember you asking to sit with me years ago when Lokar ran away,” he explained. “You sat in silence, asking me how I was. But I could see in your face that you were the one who was hurting. You couldn’t say what was wrong, so you didn’t.”

He drank a bit from the bowl. “You offered me soup back then, too.”

Inga shook her head and queued a drink. “I always forget. You may cast your eye in shadows, but it makes you see more than I wish.”

“I didn’t ask back then, so this time I am. How are you feeling?” 

She sullenly glanced at Brundt, flattening her mouth in thought.

“Lokar… I thought I had raised him right, like a true Fremennik,” she said.” I showed him all the things the world had to offer us, everything I thought would make him proud to be one of us. But he wanted… something else - something more. I could see that desire burning in his eyes as he grew, and I was powerless to stop it.”

She took another drink. “But it was inevitable, and I knew that, so I’ve grown accustomed to it, to… being alone. I can only hope that he is safe, wherever he is.”

Brundt set his bowl down, his eyes veiled in darkness.

“But that is all sentimental drivel,” Inga continued “There’s no point being stuck in the past.”

Brunt grunted. “It is my duty alone to be stuck in the past,” he said. “Though I thought it would be Armod’s duty someday.”

“Give your son time, you’ll see.”

Brundt huffed in response. Thora arrived to fill their steins, and the two of them toasted.

“You still haven’t told me how you’re feeling,” Brundt reminded her.

“What is there to say, Brundt?” she said, her voice echoing in her glass. “I feel like shit.” 

Brundt’s mountain of fur trembled as he chuckled. “I can imagine,” he said. “Astrid wouldn’t let me hear the end of it afterwards. But she knows, as well as you and me, how the vote of the council is absolute.”

“And she was right. The council has lost its humanity.”

The chief set his glass down, and leaned on his free arm, stroking his beard. “I hear the boy is still sitting alone at the marker outside of town.”

“He’s afraid of the woods, and the men within it.”

“Go to him.”

Inga stopped mid-drink and looked at Bundt.

“What? What for?”

“The council has changed its mind.”

“Wh- Brundt, you can’t just go against-”

He raised his hand to silence her, then pointed in the direction of the gate. “I’m not. Sigli came to me just before you did. He had a change of heart.”

Inga turned around sharply and slowly rose to her feet. She looked back at Brundt, who nodded, and hurried towards the door.

“But remember, Inga!” he shouted after her. “You’ll always be a Fremennik, and he’ll always be an outsider.”

“Remember yourself,” Inga retorted without breaking stride.

She dashed out of the longhall and down the hill. She didn’t know exactly why she was in a hurry, or why she was so excited. She motioned for one of the guards to follow her with their torch as she passed through the gate.

As she approached the marker she saw him. The outlander boy was curled up in the same sad, pathetic position he had been in all day, though now his head was deeply buried in his lap, and he wasn’t shivering as much. He didn’t react to the sounds of approaching footsteps.

Inga kneeled down to his level. “Are you awake, outlander?” she asked.

Still no response. They waited for a few moments, but he was as still as a corpse.

“H-he’s not dead, is he?” the guardswoman stuttered.

Inga put her hand on one of his arms. It was freezing cold, but she could feel it tensing up as it reacted to her. “No, Sveta, I don’t believe so.” 

“Asleep, then?”

Inga gave Riza a nudge. “Outlander, the chief has said you can come back into the village.”

Sveta sighed with relief. “Oh, thank Guthix. I don’t know what I would have done if something were to have happened.”

They waited again for Riza to respond. Eventually Inga bent down and gently picked him up. His entire body went limp as he was lifted.

“He passed out, it looks like.”

Sveta put her hand to her cheek. “Tch, the poor thing.”

With that, Inga turned around and marched into the village, carrying the frozen, defeated outlander. 

Were he still conscious, he might have imagined both Kyle and Malone following him with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos-Elemental for beta reading!


	12. Chapter 12

Things don’t often change around Rellekka.

It was a Tuesday, which meant Riza had to chop wood in the backyard. After that, he will go meet with his friends until sundown, then come home for dinner. Inga would remind him of the schedule as he left the house, and then she’d prepare to make soup for later.

It had been that way for the past two years.

Kyle and Malone sat behind Riza, watching him work. He still imagined them as they were when they were all twelve - Kyle was dressed in their ragged tunic and shorts, and Malone still wore his fine shirt and pants. He would have been concerned about their hygiene, if he didn’t know that they weren’t real.

Riza, on the other hand, had a growth spurt a few months ago. He used to be half the size of Inga, but he now came up to just under her jaw, and showed no signs of stopping. To help save money, Inga bought him tunics and pants that he could grow into, which was fine by him, as he enjoyed having looser-fitting clothes.

With a final  _ thwack _ , he chopped the last of the firewood for the day. He stood up and wiped his brow, whistling a sigh. Despite the frigid air against his bare torso, he was sweating heavily from the workout. 

_ “Well, well! You’ve gotten so strong, Riza!”  _ Malone said, sitting on the fence behind him.

_ “I wonder if we’d even recognize you if we saw you again,”  _ Kyle wondered.

Riza smiled sadly at the idea. That would be nice, but there was no use entertaining that fantasy.

After arranging the firewood, he went to a tub of water next to the house and grabbed the large ladle inside it. He took a scoop and poured water over his hair and torso to wash off the sweat.

_ “So are you going to do it this year?”  _ Malone asked.

_ Do what? _

_ “Today’s the first of Bennath, Riza. Didn’t you realize?” _

Riza stopped mid wash as he realized that today was his birthday - he was now officially fourteen.

He shook his head.  _ No, there’s no point. _

_ “I’m sure if you told Inga she would do something nice for you,” _ Kyle said hopefully.

_ “Are you sure about that, Kyle? She still doesn’t know his name.” _

Riza dried himself with a towel.  _ Like I said, there’s no point. Besides, what would she do if I told her at the last minute like this? _

He grabbed his tunic from the rack next to the door and made his way inside. Upon hearing a voice from the main room, he paused for a second to slip on his shirt. Sasslik was inside, chatting up Inga, and their conversation halted as soon as Riza entered.

Inga turned towards him. “All done?”

Riza grabbed his pack from atop his bed. “Yeah.”

“Be back before sundown.” Inga reminded him as he circled the other side of the hearth.

Riza responded with an “Mm” and exited through the front door. He heard Sasslik scoff “No manners from that one” before he was out of earshot. 

He started walking hastily down the road with Kyle and Malone waving him off behind him. He kept his head down, as he knew there was no point in greeting any of the villagers. 

As he went around the longhall, he instinctively looked up at the gate. 

Another part of the routine was checking to see if his parents had come to get him. He knew they wouldn’t be there, but he couldn’t help himself.

A month and a half after Inga brought him back into the village, he had done enough chores for her that he'd saved up enough money to buy a pen and some ink. Using the paper from Brand, he finally wrote a letter to his family telling them where he was, that he was safe, and that he needed their help to come home.

He brought the letter to the Seer’s house, as he would pass it off to visiting merchants, who would then deliver it to the post office. Since Peer’s daughter Hild was unable to pass her trials, she was put in charge of handling the mail as a sort of punishment. 

Despite her open disdain for Riza, she had begrudgingly taken the letter for delivery.

Riza waited excitedly for days, which became weeks, which became months of nothing. He tried writing again a few times, thinking maybe the letters got delayed, or went missing, but nothing came of it. He got tired of hearing Hild say that there was nothing for him, so he stopped visiting the Seer’s house entirely.

He was hoping to use the sight of his parents in front of the forest as a way to get over his fear - instead, now the woods meant both danger and disappointment.

Lost in thought, Riza hadn’t noticed that Armod and his friends were heading towards the longhall, and that he was in their way. He was shoved back to reality when he hit the ground.

“Out of the way, freak!” said the blond boy who pushed him. “Us REAL Fremennik have important business!”

Trying not to push his luck with them, Riza just stared at the floor.  _ Fuck off, Beigarth, you haven’t even passed your trials yet. _

Two girls stood over him. “Aww, the poor thing. His parents still haven’t gotten him yet?” Hild said with a dramatic pout.

“It makes sense. They probably don’t want him either,” the other girl mocked.

“Hey, don’t bother with him,” commanded Armod from the doorway. “If you make him angry, he might burn our bones.”

Riza closed his eyes.  _ Gods, even their insults never change. _

The five of them continued their round of jabs and jeers until Brundt’s voice boomed from within the longhall, and they all scurried inside. Arvald, a guard who was watching the farce from nearby, walked down and offered a hand.

“What a bunch of punks, huh?” Arvald said as he helped Riza up. “Hey, at least they didn’t punch you this time.”

“Yeah…” Riza muttered under his breath. _The chief sounded angry at them._ _I better clear out before they try to take it out on me._

He flashed back to the time they jumped him and tried to drag him into the forest, and how lucky he was that one of the adults showed up and stopped them.

With a quiet thanks to the guard, he continued onward. Past the houses, past the marketplace, and past the clothing shop was a clearing where he would usually meet his friends. A short boy wearing a kilt and no shirt saw him as he rounded the corner and waved excitedly.

“Hey Dozens! C’mere! Quickly!”

Riza’s heart dropped a few inches as he hesitantly made his way over. Four teenagers were sitting around something lying on the ground, and all of them had their weapons drawn. 

As he approached, his eyes widened at the corpse of some kind of child-sized, grey lizard lying on the ground. Its mouth was lined with rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth, and it's back was covered in spines that rippled in the breeze.

“Spooky, innit?” the kilted boy said. “That’s a dagger-mouth. A dead one, at least. Musta washed ashore, so I brought it here.”

_ Gods, Askeladden, you touched it? _

A taller girl with a thick fur cowl rested her fist on her chin and poked it with her sword. “Their hide makes for good armor. If we brought it to Sigli or Irwinsson, they could skin it for us.”

“To make what, Bryll, armored underpants? There’s not enough hide here for that!” Askeladden complained. “We should behead it, keep it as a trophy!”

Bryll gave him an exasperated smile. “I was thinking more along the lines of gloves or boots, but if that’s where your mind is, Askeladden...”

A girl in a red tunic and an oversized helmet stood up, facing Riza. “Dozens, we were just discussing which of us would get to keep it.”

Riza’s brow furrowed.

“You know, to make into a trophy, or make armor out of,” she continued, “Or, in Askeladden’s case, make underwear, I guess.”

Askeladden frowned. “Hey, Heike, c’mon, can we not make this a thing?”

“So we were thinking — ” Heike continued, “ — whoever wins today’s sparring match between the three of us will get the dagger-mouth as a prize.”

Riza looked at it with a grimace.

“What, you don’t want it? Then all ya have to do is lose!” Askeladden suggested, as he patted Riza on the shoulder. “Which shouldn’t be too hard for you.”

A tall boy with long hair laughed. “Whoa! That’s big talk coming from you. How long has it been since you won against him?”

Askeladden put his hands on his hips. “Hey! Not… that long.”

“I think it’s been three months, Volf,” Bryll offered. “Oh, wait, it’s Bennath now. Four months.”

“I didn’t ask you to keep count!”

The group moved to a different part of the clearing. Since Heike and Askeladden were both fourteen this year, they would be attempting their trials of adulthood in the summer. Bryll, who passed her trials two years ago, and Volf, who passed his last winter, were mentoring the two of them. Given the trend of youths failing their trials lately, they took it upon themselves to try to at least get the up-and-comers to pass.

Even though Riza was unable to take the trials himself, he also offered to help them out in whatever way he could, especially since they were nice enough to let him hang out with them. For the past few months, this meant sparring with them, for which Bryll taught Riza the basics of sword fighting alongside them. 

“A’right, me versus Heike, then the winner versus Dozens.” Askeladden announced as everyone took their places. 

Bryll, Riza, and Volf stood off to the side as Heike and Askeladden faced each other. Heike stretched her arms, holding a wooden axe and a shield in her hands while Askeladden twirled his club a few times.

Volf held his hand out flat. “Ready?” 

The two combatants crouched in anticipation. 

“Fight!” He yelled, lifting his hand up.

Askeladden smacked his chest and let out the best yell his pre-pubescent voice could muster, then started charging towards his opponent. Heike raised her shield in anticipation, readying her axe behind her. Winding his whole body back a bit, Askeladden swung down hard, his club landing squarely on her shield. 

He bashed at the shield a few times before Heike got a good enough stance to take a swing at his side. He stepped back a bit to avoid it, so she tried shoving him with her shield. Askleladden dodged to the side, and Heike ended up running past him, putting some distance between them before turning around.

“C’mon, Heike! You can do it!” Bryll cheered.

“Yeah, Heike, you can beat him!” Volf added.

Askeladden turned to them and threw his arms up. “Hey! That’s not fair, what about me— whoa!” 

He narrowly dodged a swipe from Heike. 

Eyes on me, Dagger-pants!” she taunted.

She smacked him in the torso with her shield, knocking him off balance and onto the ground. Raising her axe, she tried to swing down at him, only for him to block with his club.

Askeladden glanced over at Riza. “Rrrgh… C’mon, Dozens! Won’t you cheer for me at least?”

Riza gave him a smile and a thumbs up.

“Oh come on!” he moaned, as he kicked Heike off of him and rolled onto his feet.

It was a fierce battle, and the two of them traded blows for a while, neither seemingly coming out on top. Riza contemplated losing to whoever won, but decided against it, as it wouldn’t be fair.

Heike raised her shield again as Askeladden came charging at her. This time, instead of swinging, he put his whole body into a kick and knocked Heike backwards. As she regained her balance, she saw Askeladden’s club coming down towards her head at the last moment.

“Hah! Got you!” he exclaimed as the club stopped just short of hitting her. Heike spat out a few curses, before solemnly marching off the battlefield. Askeladden jumped up and down in triumph. “I win, you lose, I get to fight Dozens now!”

“Dammit, I don’t know what I did wrong...” Heike muttered as she joined the spectators.

“You rely too heavily on your shield,” Bryll explained. “I know you want to be a shield-maiden, but sometimes the best defense is staying on the offence. Remember that, going into your trials.”

Heike nodded, catching her breath. “Hey, Dozens, kick his ass for me, will you?” she said, handing Riza her shield.

Riza took the shield and the wooden sword Volf handed him. 

“Did you stretch?” Bryll asked him.

“Um… I chopped some wood before coming here,” he answered quietly, heading towards his spot.

Bryll shrugged. “That works.”

Askeladden frowned, leaning on his club like a cane. “Whaaaat, I don’t even get a break?”

Volf shook his head. “You won’t get a break during the trials, so suck it up.”

“Oh really? During which one?” Askeladden asked, tilting his head.

Bryll scoffed. “Nice try.”

Askeladden smiled wryly as he turned to face Riza. 

Volf put his hand out again. “Ready?”

_ Remember, stay focused. _

“Fight!”

Riza sprung forward as Askeladden slapped his chest and roared. Riza lunged with his sword, as his target sidestepped him to the left. He raised his shield as Askeladden brought his club down, and Riza responded with another slash. Askeladden jumped backwards, so Riza stepped forward and sliced upwards, only to narrowly miss again. 

After a few more rounds of Riza swinging to no avail, the two of them backed away, circling each other and catching their breaths. Riza tried to come up with what he should do next.

_ Heike usually waits until Askeladden comes to her, but he can overpower the both of us. I usually charge at him, but he’s getting used to that, so I have to come up with something different... _

Suddenly, Askeladden sprinted forward, and Riza crouched, holding his shield up. Akskeladden swung down with his club with his full body, expecting Riza to block it. 

Instead, Riza lowered his shield, and swung around with his sword, catching the club and deflecting it to his side. With a full rotation, he managed to twist the club out of Askeladden’s hand and knock it off to the side as its wielder fell face first to the ground.

Askeladden turned onto his back as Riza stood over him, his wooden sword raised. After a few tense moments, he lowered his weapon. 

“What, aren’t ya going to finish it?” Askeladden asked.

Riza shook his head. “You’re unarmed. If I hit you now, you’ll win”

“Hey Dagger-pants! Stop cheating and go get your weapon!” Heike called from the sidelines.

“Tch... Dammit.” Askeladden said as he scrambled to his feet.

Riza heard “Hey Dozens!” and looked over at Bryll. “You got this!” she said, giving him a thumbs up. Riza smiled back brightly and returned the gesture.

Askeladden’s club flew through the air, smacked Riza square in the temple, and the spectators gasped.

“Hah! Gotcha! Keep your eyes on the target, Dozens!” Askeladden laughed.

Bryll and Volf ran over to check on Riza while Heike stamped on the ground. “That’s cheating, you rat!”

Askeladden put his hands on his hips and leaned forward. “Cry some more, Heike, you’re just mad I won using  _ innovation _ !”

Heike raised her fists and charged at him. “Your face will be an innovation, pretty soon!” 

While Heike chased Askeladden throughout the clearing, Riza, Volf and Bryll all sat down on the ground as Bryll looked over the impact site.

“You’re not bleeding, but that’ll be a nasty bruise tonight,” she concluded. “Sorry your streak got broken.”

Riza shrugged.  _ So… throwing your weapon is allowed? _ He noted.

He heard Askeladden stop running behind him. “Hey, Dozens, are ya going to be okay?”

Riza felt Volf put his hand on his back, gently pushing him down. “You made him cry, you monster!” Riza’s face twisted in confusion, but he kept his head down.

Bryll snorted almost inaudibly. “Oh, Dozens, how will we ever explain to Inga what Askeladden has done to you!?” she asked forlornly.

“Wh-what..? He’s not really cryin’, is he?” Askeladden said with more concern than Riza had ever heard before.

Taking the cue, Riza started sobbing and hiccuping, cupping his face in his hands as Volf and Bryll consolingly rubbed his back and shook their heads at the aggressor. Heike gasped loudly and shouted “Look what you did! Dozens never did anything wrong!”

“I-I… I didn’t mean to! I-I didn’t think he’d cry about it!” Askeladden stammered, his voice turning around multiple times as he tried to explain himself to everyone. 

“I never would have thought you were the type of person,” Volf said disappointedly. “Say you’re sorry to Dozens, right now!”

Askeladden groaned and sighed loudly. “Okay, okay, fine. I’m so- huh?”

“Oh Guthix, what the hell is this, then?” asked a familiar exasperated voice ahead of them.

Everyone looked up to see the rare appearance of Armod Brundtson all by himself. His hands were deep in his pockets and he looked at everyone with a dull expression.

Askeladden waved cheerily. “Oh, Armod, we were just competing for the dag-”

“I don’t…” Armod interrupted, before stopping to stare at the sky for a moment. “... care, Askeladden. I’m just here for… whatever the fuck his name is.”

“You mean Dozens?” Bryll clarified.

“Sure. Whatever. My dad asked me to bring him to the longhall.”

Volf stood up. “What!? But outlanders aren’t allowed in—”

Armod’s eyes bulged with annoyance. “I know, Volf! I literally know that! But that’s what my dad said, so.” he shrugged and rattled his head. “Let’s go?”

Without waiting for a response he heel-turned and walked around the clothes shop. Riza looked at Bryll and Volf for confirmation, but they gave a confused silence in return.

“Um… I guess I gotta go.” Riza mumbled as he stood up.

Bryll nodded. “Yeah. Best not to keep him waiting.”

Riza went to catch up with Armod, waving to his stunned friends as he rounded the corner. “Wait, he wasn’t really cryin’, was he!?” he heard Askeladden say behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	13. Chapter 13

Riza caught up with Armod, who was meandering slowly ahead of him. Armod turned to scowl at Riza as he approached. His crooked teeth poked out of his slightly overbitten lips, and his head was hunched uncomfortably as his hands dug deep into the pockets of his checkered pants. 

Riza quickly brushed some hair out of his face with his hand. “Um… do you know what your dad wants with me?” 

Armod tilted his head forward slightly. “Uh, hey idiot? If I knew, then you think I would have told you?”

With a flattened mouth, Riza looked away.  _ Yeah, I guess so. _

Riza tried to keep pace with Armod in order to avoid him getting angry. His chest felt heavy from holding in his breaths too long, and he would glance at Armod sideways from time to time.

The silence made Riza’s hands twitch and his heartbeat quicken.  _ Oh gods, is this another thing? Is he luring me to get ambushed again? _

Riza took a quick look around. He couldn’t see any of Armod’s friends poking out from behind anything in the immediate vicinity.

_ But what if they’re in the marketplace? Or maybe they’re by the houses near the longhall…? Oh gods, what do I do? _

He shot a glance at Armod.  _ Well, I can’t just ask him if he’s tricking me. He’ll just get pissed—  _

Armod turned to him. “What!?” he barked. “Stop looking at me, you freak!’

“Um… this isn’t a trap, is it?” Riza asked, and immediately winced with regret.

Stopping suddenly, Armod turned away from Riza, caging his mouth in his hand, before turning back with bulging eyes. 

“Are you serious!? Do you think I WANT to— “ he stopped himself and stared at the sky for a second, fuming through his nose. “Okay, new rule. You shut your mouth up until we get to the longhall.” He pulled his fist from his pocket and raised it to his side. “Or else I’ll kick your ass, got it?”

Riza looked away at the ground in response.

“Unbelievable…” Armod muttered under his breath and they continued the rest of the way in silence. 

***

The dim lighting of the longhall made it seem dark and cavernous. The walls were lined with massive kegs stacked upon each other, with a crown of animal heads and trophies that looked down upon the dining hall. In the shadows of the right wall was a long bar where a woman was quietly cleaning the counter. The far back of the hall had a raised platform that Riza recognized as a stage. 

Armod walked counterclockwise around the bonfire. Riza tried to follow, but Armod looked backwards and motioned for him to go the other way around. He circled the bonfire and saw Brundt on the other side, sitting upon a raised platform facing the entrance. He couldn’t see Brundt’s eyes through the shadows of his helmet or the eyepatch, and most of his body was nestled in the furs draped over his shoulders.

Riza swallowed dryly. Despite having lived in Relleka for almost two years, he hadn’t seen the chief since the day he was kicked out of the village, and he had forgotten how intimidating Brundt looked. Riza licked and bit his lips, coming to a stop a distance away. With a sharp breath, he opened his mouth to greet the chief, but couldn’t find the words.

Brundt waved him forward and gestured to a spot at the foot of the platform to his right. “Come, sit with me, outlander,” he said, with a warm gruffness.

Riza stepped into position, and saw Armod sitting cross legged opposite of himself, so he did the same.

“You should be honored, outlander,” Brundt started, facing the two boys. “It has been ages since we allowed an outsider within our sacred hall.”

_ So I’ve heard. _

“I-I am,” Riza stammered.

“Good.” Brundt stroked his beard with his free hand. “Now, tell me, What do I call you?”

Riza stared at the ground. “Um… my friends call me Dozens,” he said after a pause.

“So I’ve heard. Though, Irwinsson tells me your name is Riza,” Brundt said as Riza’s face scrunched. “Are you not proud of your name?”

“He… wasn’t supposed to tell you that...” Riza muttered.

The furs on Brundt’s back shuddered as he chuckled. “He wouldn’t dare lie to his chief.”

Brundt leaned in towards Riza, continuing to stroke his beard. The shadows parted and Riza could see his wizened, deep green eye as he gave Riza a once over. 

_ Gods, he almost looks human now. _

“Inga has taught you well. The two of you are good at avoiding giving me a proper answer.” He pointed at his eyepatch with a grin. “But this eye sees everything you don’t want me to. Remember that, child, as I ask you again: what do I call you?”

Riza met his gaze, but leaned back as his veins froze. “Dozens is fine,” he choked out. 

Using his hammer to pull himself back into position, Brundt faced the empty bonfire again. “Very well.”

“Father, do I really need to be here?” Armod complained, staring at the ceiling, “You just wanted to talk to the outlander, right?”

Brunt squared his shoulders and sat up straight with a start, looking down his beard at his son. The fur cloak drooped behind his back, revealing the round metal pauldrons underneath.

“Armod! You know better than to interrupt me!” he growled, “I asked for you to be here for a very important reason!”

“But father, this has nothing to do with me! You don’t need  _ me  _ to talk to  _ him! _ ”

“I said you will be here, so you’ll be here! And besides! He’s my guest, and you will address him as Dozens!”

“That’s not even his name! That’s just what his  _ stupid  _ friends call him!”

“And that’s what  _ you’ll _ call him too! And need I remind you that some of ‘his stupid friends’ have actually passed their trials!”

“Oh, you’re really going to bring that up!? You know I’ve been  _ trying!” _

“Not hard enough, you haven’t! How many years—”

Riza’s face and body melted as he watched the two squabble with wide eyes. Brundt’s free hand waved a pointed finger around, as he anchored himself with his other gripping his warhammer. Armod snarled and gnashed his crooked teeth as the two of them yelled directly into each other's faces.

The barkeep circled behind Brundt and tapped him on the shoulder.

“What is it, Thora!? You know better than to— ”

She pointed at Riza.

“Oh!” Brundt cleared his throat, then glared one more time at Armod. “You will sit there and listen, do you understand!?” he said through clenched teeth.

Armod groaned loudly, rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

Thora draped Brundt’s fur cloak back over his shoulders as he hunched back into position, then she disappeared back behind the bar. 

Brundt stroked his beard again and sighed. “Now, where was I… Ah, yes. Dozens, how old are you?”

“Fourteen, sir.”

“Oh? When did that happen?”

“Um... A while ago…” Riza muttered.

“Ohhh, my gods!” crescendoed a complaint from Armod. “Can’t you give a normal answer!?”

“Armod!” Brundt scolded before catching himself and turning back to Riza. “I’m sure you know of our trials, the ones where our youths become adults.”

Riza nodded. He remembered them mostly as the time he’s asked to stay inside the house all week while Inga hosted her own challenge.

“It is not enough for one to be born to our tribe,” Brundt said.” One must also prove themselves to the council members by taking their trials. Only then do they become a true Fremennik.”

He pointed to Armod. “Many of our youths do not have what it takes, though we have tried many times to help them learn.”

Armod rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“But perhaps it is because we live in a time of peace,” he continued. “There is no one to fight against, so there is no fire within them. Which leads me to you, Dozens.”

Riza felt a cold sweat form between his hair as his eyes sunk.  _ Oh gods, they’re going to use me as hunting practice. _

“The council has voted on it, and they request that you undergo our trials as well.”

Armod stood up halfway and started shouting at his dad, who scolded him in return, and Riza watched emptily, not listening to a word of what was being said.

_ They want… me to undergo their trials? _

_ … me? _

_ There’s no way I can do that! Armod and Askeladden and Heike and everyone else have prepared all their lives for this! And even Armod couldn’t pass his, and he seems so much more capable than I could ever be. _

_ What would this even involve? And why? Just so that his son can do better than me? Is this another chance for them to humiliate me? To throw me out of the village aga—  _

“Dozens?” Brundt called.

Riza’s thoughts immediately dispersed as his focus flew back to Gielinor. Brundt and Thora were staring at him, and Armod was nowhere to be seen. 

He croaked out a sound as he tried to jump back into the conversation, only managing to utter “Ahh, I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I was asking for your answer.”

“Um, Right, about the trials…”

Riza looked down at his lap and softly rubbed his thumbs together. After mulling it over some more, he gingerly asked “Do you… think that I’d be able to pass them?” 

Brundt grunted, then leaned on his hand and stroked his beard, staring at the ceiling. “... No, I don’t think you will,” he said simply, “However…”

Riza glanced at him.  _ However? _

Brundt closed his eyes for a few seconds, then sat back up. “Hm… In any case, is that a no? Do you not want to take our trials?”

_ … What do I even say? _

_ This isn’t about me. He only wants his son to pass his trials. Typical Rellekkan arrogance, they’re only nice to me when they want something. _

_ But what if I decline? Will they kick me out again? Or will they use it as a reason to kick me out if I fail? Oh gods, what do I do…? _

_ … If I do this, then that means that I’ll be helping Askeladden and Heike as well, right? They at least care — well, they at least like me enough to let me hang out with them.  _

_ At the very least I owe it to them to help them out. _

“No,” Riza responded before getting flustered at his confusing answer. “I-I mean I do! I do want to take your trials!”

“Excellent! We are in your debt, outlander!” Brundt cheered as he offered out his hand to shake. Riza reached for it, and Brundt gave it a powerful squeeze.

Brundt leaned back with a contented sigh. “Now, today is…”

“The first of Bennath, sir.”

“Yes, and the trials will begin on the seventh of Pentember.”

_ In two months!? That’s barely any time at all! _

“You’re training under Bryll Thoksdottir and Volf Olafson, right?” Brundt said. “Then go. Let them know what we have discussed today. They will know the best way to teach you.”

“Um… Thank you, sir, for this…” Riza squinted trying to find the right word. “... opportunity. I promise to do my best.”

“That’s all I ask of you, outlander,” he responded, staring at the empty bonfire before him.

Riza turned and walked out of the longhall, still trying to process the complex emotions that he felt. He rounded the bonfire and made his first few steps to the door.

Suddenly someone latched onto Riza’s back and wrapped their limbs around his torso, squeezing him tightly. Riza yelled with a start, barely keeping his balance as he tried to shake off his assailant. 

“Yahoooo! Dozens is going to be a Fremennik too!” Askeladden cheered into Riza’s ear.

“G-get off me!” Riza cried.

Riza heard the bellowing laugh of Brundt behind him. “Keep your eyes open, outlander!” he said. “You’ll need to pay more attention then that during the trials!”

“Askeladden! Get out of my bar!” Thora yelled. “How many times do I have to tell you, you little rat!”

“You heard the lady!” Askeladden said, resting his chin on Riza’s shoulder and pointing ahead. “Let’s go!”

Riza begrudgingly carried Askeladden out of the longhall, finding the rest of his friends sitting just around the corner. 

“Askeladden! Did you sneak into the bar to EAVESDROP on the chief!?” Bryll accused.

Askeladden jumped off of Riza. “Better than trying to listen in from the outside! At least I have the bravery of a true Freminnik!”

“No, you just have the sneakiness of a thief!” Volf corrected.

“And the stature of a gnome!” Heike added.

Askeladden frowned. “Hey, hey, wait, can’t you put a hold on making fun of me just this once? This is Dozens' big day! He’s going to be one of us now!”

Everyone started making their way to the usual spot, creating a semi-circle around Riza as they walked.

“Soooo,” Askeladden said, “now that Dozens needs some tougher training, I guess it’s up to me to teach him the ropes!” He pointed to himself with a proud grin.

“Oh really, now!” Volf exclaimed with a laugh, “And what qualifies you to teach anyone anything?”

Askeladden rested his hands behind his head and swayed a bit. “Welll after my glorious victory today—”

“Oh no you don’t!” Heike interrupted. “The last thing Dozens needs is to learn from a cheater like you!”

“Um… Brundt said that Bryll and Volf would know how to teach me,” Riza piped up quietly. “Though I guess you two’ve taught me a lot already…”

Bryll put her hands on her cheeks. “Oh, Guthix, he said that?” she exclaimed. Her expression grew serious. “Then by my honor, I’ll do my best to teach you.”

Volf put his arm around Riza’s shoulder and patted it a little too hard. “Alright! I’ll do my best to make you into a real Fremennik champion too! Just you watch!”

“Heyyy! Hold on a minute!” Askeladden whined as he walked backwards ahead of them. “I still need your help! And Heike definitely does too! Why’re ya so excited about helping him instead!?”

“Because he only has two months to train!” Bryll explained, “You two are doing well enough, and besides, it’s not like we’re going to  _ stop _ training you.”

“I guess dagger-pants still thinks he’s unprepared…” Heike mused.

“Nuh uh! I’m just worried about you Heik— whoa!” 

Askeladden backed right into a fence and fell over. The remaining four continued walking without him.

Volf put a hand up to his chin and stared at the sky. “Man… Which trials should we train him for, though?”

Bryll did a similar pose. “Yeah, isn’t that the thing. Definitely not my father’s, that’s for sure.”

“You want me to train for specific ones?” Riza asked.

Volf sighed. “If we’re going to get you ready in two months, then yeah, we need a plan of attack.”

“I mean… Thorvald’s?” Bryll offered.

“Oof, I didn’t do Thorvald’s trial.”

“I did, and it was pretty easy…” Bryll said sing-songedly. “Ooh, definitely Inga’s.”

Volf nodded, then looked at Riza with a start, putting his hand on his shoulder. “Oh, but wait, you can’t do some of them! Like Sigli’s.”

Bryll gasped and steepled her hands over her mouth. “Oh no! That’s right! That means you can’t do Agnar’s or Olaf’s, either!”

“Huh? Why’s that?” Heike asked, before she gasped as well. “Oh, wait, do they take place in the forest?”

Riza’s heart seized for a second. “Uh-uhhm…” he started weakly, “Y-yeah, I’d… r-rather not do those ones if we can help it.”

“Who does that leave? Sigmund, Peer, Swensen, Sasslik, Manni, Pontak, and Janus?”

“Mmm, I don’t think Sasslik will let him take her trial,” Bryll said. “Which sucks, because I think you’d be good at it.”

Riza frowned.  _ Oh gods, they have the option to just not let me take them!? _

“Um.. If that’s the case, I don’t think Peer or Janus’ll let me take theirs, either,” Riza said sadly.

“Oh gods, who’s left!?” Heike said with arched eyebrows. She lifted up her hands and started counting on her fingers. “Thorvald, Inga, Manni, Sigmund, Swensen, and Pontak?” She held up her six digits with a frown. “That’s not enough.”

Bryll lowered her hands and sighed. “Look, let’s not give up hope. I know there’s a way to go at it that makes sense, so in the meantime we’ll just do what we can with the ones we know he can do.”

They arrived at the clearing behind the tailor, with Askeladden just now catching up behind them. Volf slapped Riza on the back, assuring him that they could do it together, and the group scattered to start preparations. Bryll had Heike assist her in grabbing some large rocks, and Askeladden went with Volf towards the forest outside of town. 

And all Riza did was stand alone and watch them sadly. They all seemed so happy to help him do this, and it made him feel something weird, something that he couldn’t place. 

He felt like crying, but his tears had long since dried up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	14. Chapter 14

****Content Warning: Graphic Descriptions of Violence.****

Heike and Askeladden were on track to do a few different trials than Riza, so Volf and Bryll split up training them in two groups. 

Besides advanced weapons training, Riza was also made to walk blindfolded around the clearing while avoiding obstacles, and was quizzed on the different members of the village. He didn’t feel like he accomplished much, but Volf assured him that it would all make sense when the time came.

When they took a break for lunch, instead of eating the food he packed ahead of time, Bryll brought him some ingredients while Volf showed him how to start a fire. They had Riza cook up a lunch for the five of them as a test, and he exceeded their expectations.

Afterwards, training continued for a few more hours until they decided to wrap things up for the day. Askeladden somehow convinced Volf to help him carry the dagger-mouth home, leaving Bryll, Heike, and Riza alone to chat. Eventually sundown approached, and Riza had to leave for the night so they waved each other off. He passed by a disappointed Askeladden, who had hoped to hang out with him some more.

Having walked the path in front of the longhall multiple times today, Riza decided to walk around the back 

He passed through the marketplace, glancing at what was for sale and mentally commenting on the prices. Some of the shops were closing up for the day, and a few of the vendors actively shooed him away from their stalls.

Rounding the corner behind the longhall, he saw the steep cliff down to the docks below the village. Before him was the northern sea, the foamy waves framing the sunburnt sky, casting a darkened hue over the land. A brisk northern breeze flew up the hill and chilled Riza to the bone.

_Imagine… sailing north, far away from this place._

He recalled the day he was told he wasn’t allowed on the Rellekkan boats. He never asked if he could, but they let him know anyway, and how wrong it was for him to even consider it.

_The chief said he owes me a debt now. If he was serious, I wonder if I could use that to be let on one of their ships._

He breathed in slowly and the scent of frozen seawater filled his nostrils.

_He probably wasn’t serious, though. I doubt he even considered how I felt about this whole situation._

_… But how do I feel?_

_I’m happy I get to help in some way. If anything, this will help Heike and Askeladden with their trials. I hope that this’ll bridge the gap between me and Armod._

_But… When was the last time someone thought about me? Everyone here only thinks of me when they need something._

_I’m… alo—_

Riza was knocked out of his thoughts as something hit him on his back with a _splat._ The sound of boots running in the gravel came up closer and closer behind him, and before he realized what was happening, someone slammed into him and sent him crashing to the ground.

He landed on his stomach, banging his chin. Instinctively, he shielded his face for the oncoming onslaught, and his assailant straddled his waist.

“Hey, outlander!” greeted the harsh voice of Beigarth from atop him. “I’m glad I caught up with you! I wanted to ask you a few things about your meeting today.”

Riza groaned and struggled to get out from under him. “Fuck off, Beigarth! Just — rrrghh — let me go!”

Beigarth smacked him upside the back of his head, and Riza curled into himself. “Hey, that’s no way to talk to me, outlander!” he said with a chuckle. “Maybe we should get some manners into your thick head!”

Riza saw another pair of feet step in front of him, and felt someone grab his wrists and pull.

“No! Stop!” he cried as they turned him onto his back. He could see the bored face of Reinn staring down his nose at him, and the wicked grin on Beigarth’s babyish face. Armod, Hild, and Signey walked up on his right side and looked down at him with contempt.

Riza tried twisting his arms out of Reinn’s grip, to no avail. Beigarth firmly grabbed his chin, forcing his mouth open with a harsh squeeze.

“So, let me get this straight,” Beigarth started, his nose twitching as he looked over Riza’s face. “You’re telling me that a freak like you is going to try and take _our_ trials? That you’re going to try and become one of _us?_ ”

“Maybe he’s confused!” Hild said with a grin. “Since his parents have abandoned him, he thinks he can move in with us instead!”

“The poor thing’s too stupid to realize nobody wants him!” Signey combing her hands through her blond hair with a pout.

“Yeah! That’s just the thing that blows my mind!” Beigarth exclaimed, suddenly pulling Riza’s head closer to his, making Riza crane his neck painfully, “You don’t seem to get that _nobody wants you,_ outlander!” 

Beigarth scooped a handful of mud and stuffed it into Riza’s mouth. Riza gagged and tried to spit it out the best he could, but the taste still lingered. Hild and Signey proceeded to grab fistfulls of mud as well, and he felt more pats of mud splat against his body.

Armod stepped up next to him, and Riza tried wiggling out of Reinn’s grip again. 

“You don’t belong here, you freak,” he said, his face sunken with contempt. “You keep getting lucky with the council, but that’s only because those saps keep falling for your lies.”

He kicked Riza in the ribs, and Riza cried in pain. 

“What was it again? You burn bones every week?” he kicked him again. “Chased by men in the woods?” He kicked him even harder. “Sounds to me like you were on the run from the law. Did they catch you burning bodies somewhere?”

“That’s not— Aargh!”

Beigarth punched Riza in the side. “You know better than to interrupt us, freak!”

Riza felt the sharp pain everywhere they hit him, like he had been stabbed repeatedly, and he was still spitting out flecks of mud. He panted pathetically, desperately wishing for the ordeal to be over.

Armod continued. “And now my dad thinks that he can use you to taunt us? To humiliate us? Well… I don’t know why we can’t do the same to you!”

He reared up and kicked again in Riza’s armpit. While this was the most painful strike so far, the momentum of the kick allowed Riza to slip his sweaty right wrist out from Reinn’s grasp.

In that half second of freedom, he realized the only thing he could do was to fight back. He gritted his teeth, curled his fist and punched Beigarth square in the face. 

He remembered this rush. It was the same one he felt when he stabbed Dorian in the woods. It didn’t feel good then, and it almost felt worse now.

Beigarth fell to his side, and Riza started squirming to get out from under him. Armod stepped one foot back as Reinn stood stunned.

Before Riza could wrest his other hand free, Beigarth sat back up, his face twisted and snarling. He pushed Riza’s chest down, reared his other hand back and swung his fist at Riza’s face, and Riza saw a flash of light as it made impact.

“How dare you! You freak!”

Riza’s head rattled with pain as he turned and shielded his face again. Beigarth, now in a blind rage, started pummeling the back of Riza’s head relentlessly as the other teens joined in by kicking him in the body and legs.

For the next little while Riza endured the group’s assault, coiling up as best as he could to protect himself. Eventually they grew tired of him and wandered off together, cheering about how much better they felt. Riza lay exhausted on the ground, red marks covering his body and his clothes and skin were caked in mud. 

He closed his eyes and quietly groaned. He knew the coast was clear, but he didn’t want to get up. He wanted the ground to swallow him, to be buried here forever. Anything at all to help him escape this hell he was living.

_“Hey… You’re okay,” Kyle’s voice said softly as they sat next to him. “It’s safe to get up now.”_

_Shut up, Kyle. Just leave me alone._

_“Riza… You promised.”_

_Please… I just want to be alone._

_Kyle gazed off into the distance for a moment before softly patting Riza’s shoulder._

Riza laid on the ground and stared at the ocean. Even from uphill, he could hear the crashing of the waves, and the undignified _squawks_ of seagulls laughing at his pain.

_How often has this happened? Me, here, on the cold mud. Beaten half to death._

_“Too often,” Kyle said sadly._

_In fact, that’s how they found me. Dying pathetically, all alone, like an animal._

_“You’re not an animal.”_

_Then why—_

“R-Riza? Is that you?”

Riza looked up to see Jormun and Irwinsson coming towards him, but he felt too empty to be happy to see him. He slowly lowered his head back to the floor and sighed, shutting his eyes tight.

He could hear Irwinsson’s footsteps coming, and saw his large, pawed boots. Riza recalled Iwinsson hovering over him like this before.

“O-oh, Guthix, R-Riza!” he stammered. “W-w-what happened!? I… I-I passed by Armod’s gang, and they were laughing about something. D-did they do this!?”

He placed his hand on Riza’s arm, and Riza nudged it away.

“Leave me alone…” Riza said inaudibly into the ground.

“R-Riza, i-it’s okay,” Irwinsson reassured him, “Uh, um, please, you can tell me what happened.”

Riza said nothing. He heard the footsteps of another man walking by. Looking up he saw it was Janus Seacaster, the village fisherman, carrying a large bucket of mackerel. 

“The chief’s son and his friends beat the tar out of him,” Janus explained, without stopping. “Poor kid’s got to learn to fight better than that if he wants to do our trials.”

The fisherman laughed to himself as he walked off. Riza could feel his anger and frustration roiling to the surface.

And then something in him snapped.

Riza clenched his fists until his knuckles stung and then slammed his arms into the ground.

“It’s not my fault!” he shouted at the mud beneath him, his voice burning with rage. He kept hitting it over and over again, his arm stinging from pain. “There’s nothing I could do! There’s nothing I CAN do! I can’t do ANYTHING! I’m TRAPPED and NOBODY CARES!”

Irwinsson tried to put his arm on Riza’s shoulder, only for it to be swatted away again.

“Can’t all of you just leave me alone!?” he screamed at Irwinsson and Kyle. “I— Just… just leave…”

Riza’s whole body trembled, and he clutched his hair with both of his hands and yelled. The wail he let out was like nothing Irwinsson had ever heard before, and it lasted until Riza’s lungs were completely spent, accompanied by Jormun howling in tune. The only thing Irwinsson could do was sit next to Riza and wait it out.

Riza started panting, his breath whistling through his sore throat. His arm was throbbing in pain, having turned an unhealthy bright red.

“M-my dad told me about the… trial thing.” Irwinsson said tentatively. “Is that why Armod and his friends attacked you?”

Riza said nothing.

Irwinsson breathed in to continue, but held for a second, then let it go. Instead, he slowly put his hand on Riza’s back and rubbed it.

“... Ah… H-how are you... doing?” Irwinsson asked finally. “N-not, uh, not like, right now b-because, y’know…” He tried to center himself again. “I mean, what I’m asking is... are you okay? I-I know all this, er, this is probably really h-hard for you.”

Riza’s panting slowed to a crawl.

“R-Rellekka can be hard for… for someone like us. P-people who aren’t… strong enough to live up to their… expectations. B-but… I-I think you’re plenty strong, Riza, especially after all you’ve been through. I-it’s just easy to think that… you’re all alone in a place like this.”

Riza felt his head surge with emotion, and his face started overheating. He closed his eyes as he started trembling again.

“B-but you’re not alone,” Irwinsson continued. “If, uh i-if you just let me, or Heike, or Askeladden, or anyone, really, help you shoulder your burdens, th-then we can make it through this. A-and…”

Irwinsson felt Riza’s back start to bounce with sobs, and temporarily stopped rubbing it.

“A-and maybe someday we can all leave this godsforsaken place together.”

***

Irwinsson sat with Riza until he was finished, and then helped him up. Riza knew he was far past curfew, so they waved each other off, Riza giving Jormun his scratches before he left. Irwinsson stayed and watched from a distance to make sure he got home safely.

As Riza shuffled painfully down the road, he saw Inga’s cottage up ahead, illuminated orange from within, with a dark cloud of smoke escaping from the top.

The first sensation that hit him as he got closer was the smell. He could tell that she was cooking something in oil, as he recognized that pleasant burning scent, but he couldn’t place what it was.

He parted the curtain and walked inside. He saw Inga jostling a large skillet over the hearth as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

“You’re late,“ she remarked, turning back to her pan.

Riza slowly circled around her, heading towards his bed. “I know. I got caught up in something,” he replied, his voice raspy and dry.

“Was it about that screaming? Someone sounded like they were dying out— “ She looked up and saw him caked in mud and infant bruises. 

“My gods,” she exclaimed with wide eyes and a furrowed brow. “You look like a sight.”

She left the pan on the hearth, grabbed a towel from the counter, and walked over to him. 

“Come here, let me see,” She licked the tip of the towel and gingerly held his chin. She wiped some of the dirt off a bruise on his face and looked it over.

With a long sigh she glanced at her pan, then back at him. “Well, why don’t you go take a bath. A cold one to help the swelling.”

Though he wanted to go to bed and end this miserable day, he complied and went to the backyard. He put everything he had into pumping the water, then sat underneath it to rinse himself off. At one point Inga brought him a change of clothes. Giving him another once-over, she shook her head, then left without a word.

After he was cleaned up, Riza did a preliminary rinse of his dirty clothes and left them on a drying rack for Inga to wash, then he dragged himself back to the living room. He sat down at the small dining table, propping himself up on his elbows, he put his whole face in his hands and rubbed his temples. 

Inga set a plate before him, and he finally saw the mystery dinner. It was golden brown like toast, yet the size and shape of a lamb chop, and had the faint shimmer of oil upon it. It was nestled next to a pile of potatoes cut into long quarters that were similarly brown and oily.

“Um… What is this?”

“Schnitzel and potatoes,” Inga said, turning back to the hearth to collect her dishes. “I figured I should start bulking you up. Make you strong for your trials.”

Riza stared at it sadly, though the savory aroma made his mouth water in anticipation.

“What’s the matter?” Inga asked. “Did they knock your teeth out, too? Go on, eat!” 

“Um, don’t you want me to help you with the dishes, first?”

Inga thought about it for a moment. “No. Just this once, you enjoy your food. Today’s a special day, after all.”

_Malone sat down at the chair across from him, framing his chin and closing his eyes. “Ahhh, yeahhh, it IS a special day, after all!” he said. “What did I tell you? If you had just asked nicely, Inga would have done something for you!”_

_“I mean, it’s no cake, but at least it’s something new!” Kyle said over Riza’s shoulder._

_They wrapped their arms around Riza’s neck and hugged him tightly._

_“Happy birthday Riza!” the two of them cheered._

With that, Riza covered half of his face with his left hand and quietly, coldly, and emptily laughed to himself before digging in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	15. Chapter 15

****Content Warning: Animal Death.****

“Geez, Dozens, you look awful,” Askeladden said.

It took Riza everything he had to show up in front of his friends the next day. Despite his pleas to stay inside for a quiet, non-violent afternoon, Inga practically shoved him out of the house to continue his training. Had Volf not arrived at that moment, looking for him, Riza would have spent the entire day sitting in front of the house.

He was fully conscious of the splotches of purple bruises that marred half of his face and most of his body, and had they not been there, his friends would have seen how red his cheeks were. His brow was furrowed heavily over his downcast eyes as he did his best to avoid their gaze.

Volf _tsked_. “What a thing to say, Askeladden!” 

Askeladden pointed his club at everyone. “What? You’re all thinking it!” he said.

Heike punched his arm.

“Ow! Hey! I can’t help it he looks like…” Askeladden looked closer at Riza, squinting a bit. “Actually, ya kinda look like you have Irwinsson’s tattoos now.”

With a frustrated groan, Heike took Riza’s hand and cupped it in her own. “How are you doing, Dozens?” she asked. “I saw Beigarth earlier today, and he was nursing something shiny as well. You should be proud you got one on him too!”

Riza stared at the ground.

“Aw jeez, Heike! You’re going to make him cry again!” Askeladden exclaimed.

“ME!? You’re the one who made him cry last time!”

As Heike and Askeladden started bickering again, Riza glanced at Bryll and Volf. “Um... I’m s-sorry.” he muttered.

Bryll’s face twisted in confusion. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“... You taught me how to fight, but...“

Bryll put her hands on her hips and looked him over. “Well, then why didn’t you fight back?”

“They uh…” Riza gestured wildly. “Y’know… tackled me from behind, and uh…”

“So they were a bunch of cowards,” Volf scoffed. "I can't believe they'd do this."

With serious expression, Bryll stepped forward. “When your enemy fights dishonorably, who do _you_ apologize to?”

If Riza had the energy, he would have liked to solve that riddle. Instead he shrugged. “N-nobody, I guess.”

“Exactly. Nobody except the angry gods who allowed it to happen.”

Riza cracked a small smile at that. _Thanks, Zamorak._

“Hey, he’s smiling now! That means he’s all better!” Askeladden exclaimed. “Can we get back to training now?”

“So impatient!” Volf said.

Heike stamped her foot. “Could you _be_ any more insensitive!?”

“You feeling up to sparring today?” Bryll asked Riza. “Or do you want your wounds to heal a bit?”

“I’d, uh, like to take it easy today, if that’s okay,” Riza said.

Bryll nodded to Volf. “I have something in mind. You take the other two.”

“Got it.” Volf turned back to Riza. “Hey, you're doing great, Dozens. Keep up the good work.” He slapped Riza on the back, accidentally hitting him squarely on one of his bruises and causing Riza to hiss and curse in pain.

“Hey Volf, can we slack off today too?” Askeladden asked as his group started walking to the quarry outside of town.

“Nope!” Volf flicked Askeladden’s forehead with his finger. “In fact, we’re smashing rocks today!”

Askeladden flung his head back with his hands grasping his hair. “Oh gods, I hate smashin’ rocks!” he yelled into the sky.

“Suck it up, dagger-pants! You’re the one who wanted to get to training so bad!”

Askeladden pointed back at Riza. “Count yourself lucky, Dozens! I’ll get you back for this someday!”

Heike slapped his accusatory finger away as Bryll and Riza waved them off. They watched them argue from a distance until Heike inevitably started chasing Askeladden again. Bryll and Riza shared a sideways smile.

Bryll turned and pointed her steepled fingers at Riza. “So, I’m going to show you how to hunt today.”

Riza stared at her silently.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going into the forest.”

Riza exhaled in relief. “Oh thank the gods...”

They started walking in the direction of the piers behind the longhall.

“Have you ever been out of town?” Bryll asked. “Oh, wait, you have, with the uh…” She snapped her finger while trying to recall the memory. “The rock crabs, right?”

Riza nodded and scratched his cheek.

“So today we’ll be going past them to the hunting area up north,” Bryll explained. “We just have to follow along the beach, okay?”

Riza stared at the ground. He wanted to apologize for inconveniencing her, but before he could Kyle’s reminder rung in his head.

“Okay,” he muttered.

They passed by the marketplace, where a bearded man dressed in fancy, multi-layered robes waved at the two of them.

“Do any of the merchants let you shop with them?” Bryll asked.

“Um… only Sigmund, and only if I’m buying for Inga,” Riza said. “I uh… lied to him once to buy some writing things, though.”

Bryll nodded slowly as her eyes darted around. “So you don’t really have anything of your own?”

“I had my clothes, and I grew out of those,” he said almost wistfully. “I do have some paper that uh… I got from that guy two years ago.”

“Oh? Which guy?”

“Um… Brand was his name.”

Bryll stopped in her tracks, placing one hand on her chest and the other on Riza’s arm. “Brand?” she asked “Like, Prince Brand?”

Riza stared blankly at her.

Bryll drew a semi-circle along her neckline with her finger. “Did he have a white fox on his cloak?”

“He… had a white _something_ on his cloak.”

She put her hands on her cheeks and smiled. “Woow! Dozens was gifted _royal paper_ from his highness himself!” she teased.

Riza stared blankly ahead. “I… didn’t know you guys had princes.” he mumbled.

“It depends. Miscellania has a king, so…”

Riza looked at her with a sunken face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what that is.”

“Oh Guthix, Dozens, where do I begin?” Bryll asked exasperatedly.

As they walked along behind the longhall, Bryll gave Riza an overview of Misecllania and the other Fremennik settlements that were out at sea, like the twin islands of Jatizso and Neitiznot, and the frozen kingdom of Norrumhal. 

By the time they exited the town, Bryll was deep into her explanation of the Moon Clan, who apparently broke off from the Fremennik ages ago due to their use of magic. Riza faded out of the lecture, his head slowly turning to peek at the forest to his right, and Bryll tugged on his sleeve to keep his focus away from it.

“S-so, uh…” Riza started nervously, feeling the dangers of the forest behind him along his bristled neck hairs. “S-so, um, m-magic like uh… like teleporting is off the table.”

“Eh, yeah, I suppose,” Bryll said plainly. “I can see the benefit of it, and our skalds can teleport us home from a long journey. I think the thing that upsets the elders is how reliant they are on it? It’s like, nothing can replace doing things yourself, you know?"

“Wait, your whats can—”

“Shh! Wait!” Bryll commanded, putting a hand on his arm.

She scanned the woods ahead of her, narrowing her eyes after a few passes. Riza froze up, and didn't dare look behind him.

“Dozens, get behind me,” Bryll whispered, drawing a strange rounded blade from her waist and walking forward.

In the silence of the moment, Riza could hear a noise in the distance. It sounded like the abnormal crossing between a creaky floorboard and the complaint of an annoyed old cat. Whatever was making the sound, it would creak, the grass would rustle a few times, then it would start clicking and then make the noise again.

_Oh gods… what is that!?_

Suddenly, Bryll let out a battle cry as she sprinted past Riza. Curiosity fueling his courage, he turned to look at what was happening.

A pack of strange, fleshy pink creatures emerged from the woods. They hopped about with only three legs, their large toothy mandibles chattering together, and Bryll ran right into the center of them.

Riza's face dropped. _What the fuck are those!?_

Riza carefully backed away, then scrambled to hide behind a rock.

Distracted by her battle cry, the creatures stopped and turned towards Bryll. When she was within one hop’s distance from them, she crouched, rearing her sword back. Five of the pack pounced at her, and Riza could see her face following one before she ducked and rolled underneath it, stabbing another one in front of her at the end of her tumble.

She stood up, turned and swung her sword at one pouncing behind her in one quick movement, then rotated and stabbed another one. A fourth creature jumped on her back, and was about to sink its large teeth into her before she skewered it and tossed it at another that was about to attack her.

The last of the creatures flew backwards into a tree, and before it could slide down, Bryll impaled it with her blade. It flailed and let out a dying creak as Bryll cut the blade out of it, sending a spray of green blood and splinters flying. 

In what could only have been a few minutes, Bryll had systematically killed each creature one by one. Riza had only ever seen Bryll fight Volf in demonstrations, and he was now realizing how powerful Volf must have been to be able to match her incredible strength.

Riza watched as she sighed, stood up, then walked back over to Riza while ignoring the tree slowly toppling over with a crash.

She saw Riza’s awestruck gaze, and pointed at the creatures, smiling. “You know, my pigheaded brother fights those with his fists.”

“What were those?” Riza gasped.

“We call them turoths. Nasty little creatures.”

“And those’re just...” Riza said flailing his arms around.

Bryll looked at him confused. “Just what?”

“They’re just roaming around?”

“Yeah, them and the other monsters. They got the hunters and the champions worked to the bone.”

_‘Other monsters…’_

They continued up north towards the shore, walking along the base of the mountains. 

“You should thank those Karamjan gods of yours, the forest’s been getting more and more dangerous over the past few years,” Bryll suggested. “You can’t believe how lucky you were that Irwinsson found you when he did.”

“I did thank them. But it was like, a month after I got here, though.”

“Oh yeah, you uh…” Bryll’s supportive expression was attempting to mask her discomfort, “burn bones for them, right?”

“Yeah, from the food I eat,” Riza said matter-of-factly.

“Hm,” Bryll nodded. “You think they can hear you this far north?”

Riza contemplated how to answer that for a moment. “Um… Yeah. I know they can,” he said finally. ”I wouldn’t be alive otherwise.”

“Hm.”

They followed a path along a cliffside that eventually bridged over the ocean, reaching a snow-covered peninsula on the other side. The grey sea surrounding it bled into the overcast grey sky, giving the land a monochrome tone broken only by the strokes of color created by the frozen brown trees. Little blue butterflies danced over the glistening white fields, and white shadows in the snow betrayed the camouflage of the critters foraging for food.

“Do you get snow in Ardougne?” Bryll asked, as Riza looked over the landscape with a soft smile.

“Yeah,” Riza said, thinly veiling his excitement. “Usually in Novtumber, though, never in _Bennath._ ”

A blue butterfly with wings the size of Riza’s hands fluttered by, and he locked his eyes on it, mesmerized by the glittering dust floating off of it.

_Aren’t you cold out here, little guy?_

“Why don’t you try catching it with your hands, while I find us a good starting point?” Bryll suggested.

Riza laughed quietly at the idea. When Bryll didn’t continue speaking, he turned to see she was walking away.

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah. Be careful though,” Bryll said without turning around. She raised her hands above her head and made a cupping motion. “Catch it like this so you don’t kill it.”

Riza raised an eyebrow. _Gods, seriously? Alright then…_

***

For the next ten minutes, what was a fun activity slowly descended into a spite-driven vendetta.

As far as Riza was concerned, the butterfly gained a burst of speed the exact moment his hands would clamp together, but that only made him want to catch it even more. He chased his mark up and down the hunter area, periodically bumping into Bryll — sometimes literally.

 _You flying rat, I swear to Zamorak you will be mine!_ He thought with clenched teeth as his target fluttered too high out of his reach.

 _Okay, stay calm. Let’s think this over._ His eyes were locked on to the butterfly, nearly unblinking.

_Bryll took me hunting, so maybe this is a hunting thing. What do people do when they hunt?_

_“They kill things,” Malone’s voice echoed in the back of his mind._

_Okay, okay, but like, what else do they do? It’s a lot of waiting, right? Maybe I should just—_

Riza watched as the butterfly landed on a snow covered rock. His heart started beating faster.

_Now’s my chance!_

Riza walked as softly as he could, crunching the snow underfoot as he snuck up on his prey. He tried to make his heavy breaths as silent as possible in an attempt to conceal his presence.

A stillness hung in the air as he readied his hands, and his eyes widened in anticipation.

His hand trap snapped shut with a soft clap… and the butterfly flittered off.

Time crawled to a halt. Riza’s eyes drifted to stare at the sky.

_… Zamorak, I know you’re there._

_I have never wanted anything more in my life then to catch this stupid butterfly._

_Assist me, and I promise to spread your glory across this land._

When time resumed, Riza felt something pump through his veins. With lightning-fast reflexes, his left arm shot forward, his hand in a pinching position — 

— And the trapped butterfly wiggled between Riza's fingers. 

_Awww, I didn’t realize how fuzzy it was!_ Riza internally cooed with a widening smile. _Is it wearing a fur coat?_

The little creature's legs flailed wildly, tickling Riza’s fingers. He squealed and recoiled at the sensation, letting the butterfly go. 

Looking over, Riza saw Bryll staring at him, mouth agape.

“You actually caught it!?” she cried.

“Y-yeah,” Riza said as his face felt a sudden burst of warmth. “Um, y-you didn’t hear me scream, did you?”

Bryll marched over to Riza. “I’m so mad at you right now. My brother Marm tried to show me how to catch one and I thought it was impossible!”

They both watched the butterfly fly away in silence.

“You’ve really never done that before?” Riza asked.

Bryll’s head was stuck shaking in disbelief. “That’s it. You’ve done it, outlander,” she said. “You’ve passed your trials. There’s nothing more I can teach you.”

Riza chuckled quietly. “I didn’t think it'd be so easy.”

Bryll shook her head a few more times before regaining her composure. “Alright, well, I found a good starting point for this lesson, so follow me.”

Riza followed Bryll as she made her way back the way she came. At one point Bryll stopped short. “I just can’t believe— “ she started, frustration heavy in her voice. “Ugh… never mind.”

Bryll led Riza to a small orange bush on the other side of a snow mound. She pointed out the tiny details on the leaves that indicated that a critter had passed by recently, as well as the tracks of said creature in the snow. 

She had Riza follow the tracks while she walked behind him, guiding him down the right path along the creature’s journey. The critter’s busy schedule included a trip to three different bushes, hiding under a tree, and a near-death experience with some kind of larger animal. When they arrived at a rock their target had stopped by, another butterfly came down to rest, and Bryll pretended to walk away in annoyance.

Eventually Riza managed to track their mark to a small dugout in the snow, and Bryll kneeled down to get it. After mentioning that it tried to bite through her gauntlets, she pulled it out of its burrow. It was bright white, about the size of a small dog, and she was holding it by the scruff of its neck.

“So this is a kebbit,” Bryll explained.

“I think I’ve had that in a soup before.” Riza pondered looking it over. “I… didn’t expect it to look like that.”

“You should try them roasted, it’s _divine._ Now pay attention, this is how you kill it without making it suffer.”

Despite what she said, Riza shut his eyes tight and missed the demonstration. Bryll laid the ex-kebbit on the frozen soil, and they both kneeled down, flanking it.

“Okay, so this is a little complicated to explain, so watch carefully,” she commanded while drawing a skinning knife from her belt. 

She drew a line with the tip of her knife along the back of the kebbit. “You see how the fur parts in different directions along its back?”

Riza sniffled quietly and nodded.

“So on a larger creature,” she started. “Not like this, but something much bigger, to get the most fur out of it, you want to find spots like this to make the cut. So…”

She pointed the knife down the back again. “Here.” 

Then she drew a line along the length of the front legs. “Along here.” 

Finally she drew a line along the legs crossing around the butt. “And here. You got that?”

Riza sniffled again and nodded.

Bryll looked up at his face and saw his pathetic pout. “Are you… are you crying?” she asked.

“N-no…” he squeaked while blushing slightly.

“Aww, Dozens…” she cooed before putting her hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to have to get over it.”

Riza grimaced, then breathed in sharply through his nose, then wiped the dew off his puffy eyes. “Okay, fine. Do it, I’m ready.”

Bryll winced. “Ooo… not quite.”

She took the knife by the blade and offered it to Riza. He gave her a horrified expression in return.

“Wh-what!? Nooo!” Riza squealed.

“Sorry, city boy!” Bryll exclaimed, “You’ll need to do this eventually!”

Riza stared up at the sky. _Zamorak! Are you still angry with me!? Is this about the butterfly!?_

“Your gods are back on Karamja, I’m afraid,” Bryll laughed. "they won’t get you out of this one.”

Bryll slowly inched the handle of the knife closer to Riza’s face. With a defeated sigh he gingerly snatched it from her.

“You’re horrible,” Riza concluded as he gently took the kebbit by the head. “All the Fremennik are monsters!”

Bryll chuckled. “The monsters have to eat too, so hurry up. Let’s see how you do.”

After taking a few moments to build up the courage, Riza leaned in to the kebbit and said “I’m sorry.” Then, he lowered the knife.

“No, wait.” Bryll interrupted. Riza looked up at her and met her gaze. “Say ‘thank you’ instead,” she said with a smile.

_Don’t be sorry, huh?_

Riza thanked the kebbit, then slowly made the cut. Bryll watched carefully, course correcting him as he went along. After fully removing the skin, Bryll then went over which parts of the meat are used for which dishes, and what the different bones are usually made into. Since Riza had a frame of reference for the meat sections, he managed to pick that up rather quickly and enthusiastically. 

Bryll had Riza practice tracking and skinning a few more times that day, though he didn’t quite get over his squeamishness over killing the kebbits. Packing away their spoils, they made their way back into town.

“You did good today, Dozens.” Bryll said encouragingly she pat Riza on the shoulder.

Her hand landed on one of Riza’s bruises, and he hissed in pain again. “Um, thanks, I had… fun today,” he admitted.

“I’m glad. You always seem so…” Bryll pondered the word for a moment. “Gloomy. So it’s nice to see you enjoy yourself.”

Her words hit Riza somewhere in the gut, and he looked away and frowned for a few moments. A strange surge of guilt came up through his chest and took root in his ribs.

Bryll held up the bag of kebbit bits. “I’m going to have you cook these for the others when we get back. Do you think you can manage that?”

Riza looked back and held a shrug. “I mean, yeah… probably.”

They were on the center of the land bridge when Bryll stopped in her tracks. “Dozens,” she said sternly.

Riza slowly turned to face her. Bryll’s arms were crossed and her serious expression burned into Riza’s soul.

“If you’re going to become strong like the Fremennik, then you can’t say that anymore,” she said, “I know you can cook this amazingly, and I know that _you_ know that too. If there’s one thing I’m going to teach you, it’s that you can’t say ‘perhaps’ or ‘probably.’ You say that you can, and you will.”

The waves gently crashed against the cliffside below them.

“You miss your home, and your family, and it makes you sad, I understand that,” she continued. “But if you want the power to see them again someday, you need to change the way you think starting now.”

They stared each other down for moments that felt like hours, until Riza broke his gaze, nodding to the ground. He heard Bryll’s heavy footsteps as she passed him silently.

“Um… so, Bryll…” Riza called from up the hill.

Bryll turned back to face him, her arms on her hips.

Riza scratched his cheek and smiled sheepishly. “You, uh, you think I’m a good cook?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	16. Chapter 16

With a  _ crack _ Riza was smacked away by the end of Volf’s polearm, and he flew across the field.

“Focus, Dozens! Focus!” Volf yelled.

It had been two weeks since Riza went hunting with Bryll, and his bruises from Armod and his friend’s assault had since receded. Because the trio of trainees were getting too used to each other's tricks, Volf had decided that it was time for them to learn how to fight stronger targets — namely, their teachers. 

The challenge was for each trainee to alternate between fighting Volf and fighting Bryll until they lost. It was a test of endurance that Askeladden and Heike survived for five and six rounds respectively.

Riza got careless on round seven and lost to Volf.

_ Damn, I almost had him. _ Riza thought, wiping sweat off of his mouth and standing up.  _ I can’t believe I fell for that. _

“Alright.” Bryll clapped her hands together. “I’m starving, so let’s eat!”

Askeladden slowly stood up, groaning and holding his bruised hip. “It’s about time! Ya better cook us something nice after making us wait so long, Dozens!”

Heike’s head snapped towards Askeladden, who instantly backed off a few steps. “What are you making today?” she asked Riza, while standing up as well.

“Gosh, I haven’t even thought about that yet,” Riza said, catching his breath.

“Hold on, now,” Volf called as he walked over. “We need to go over how everyone did.”

“Who cares how everyone did?!” Askeladden whined. “Can’t we just eat? I’m so hungry!”

“Hey, it’s important we do this,” Volf countered. “How else are you going to learn how to do better?” 

Askeladden rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips, scowling at Riza as Volf went into his lecture. Volf noted that while Heike’s strength, Riza’s speed, and Askeladden’s reflexes had been improving vastly by the day, all three of them, especially Riza, needed to work on their focus.

“— You may have gotten the furthest of the three of them, but that’s only because you rely on your agility,” he said. “It’s easy to distract you, so remember to keep your mind on the task at hand going into your trials,” Volf concluded.

“Alright,” Riza said. “I’ll try my best.” 

“So, Dozens! Do you know what you’re going to make!?” Heike asked again, clapping between every other word.

“You’re awfully excited,” Bryll noted.

“I can’t help it! Dozens’ cooking is sooo good!” Heike said. “I’ve never had anything like it!”

The compliment slapped Riza in the face and he caged his mouth with his hand to hide his red-flushed cheeks. “U-um… well…” he stammered, “I had an idea for those kebbits we hunted yesterday.”

“Dozens, are you blushing?” Volf asked.

“No, stop, I’m not!” Riza mumbled through his fingers.

“Wooow! Dozens does have a weak point!” Askeladden exclaimed, his face suddenly brighter than the sun. With a grin, he leaned into Riza. “It’s so hard to find ’em when he’s so  _ smart _ and  _ strong. _ ”

“Shut up! Stooop!” Riza cried.

“You’re right, we need to hurry so we can have some of your  _ delicious cooking! _ ”

Riza was saved from the flurry of compliments by Heike, who bopped Askeladden on the head and started chasing him around the field to deliver further justice. Volf followed behind to keep an eye on them.

“So you need the kebbits, got it,” Bryll said to Riza. “Want me to pick up anything else?”

“Um… yeah,” Riza said after collecting his composure. “Could you get me some flour, like a dozen eggs, some bread crumbs, as well as some bowls to put them in. Um, also some tarromin, harralander, rosemary, a whole onion, some mushrooms, a cup of cream —” Riza showed the size of the cup with his hands, “— like this much, a pat of butter, some salt, some pepper, and a flask of oil. Then to cook with I’ll need a large pan — like the biggest kind — and then another smaller one, then at least two knives — one for the meat and one for the vegetables. Oh, wait, did I mention vegetables yet? I need some carrots and… I dunno, whatever else you want us to have. I’ll need some cutlery, most importantly a fork for the eggs. Um… also a wooden spoon, definitely, and uh… oh, a mallet, like, a wooden one to flatten the meat would be good. I think that’s it.”

“Wow,” Bryll said with arched eyebrows.

Riza rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “Yeah, sorry. Is… that a lot?”

“No, no. it’s fine. I just uh…” Bryll turned and whistled at Volf. “Hey, Volf, can you come here?”

“What’s up?” Volf asked, jogging up to them.

Bryll had Riza repeat his list of cookware. “I’m not sure where to find a clean mallet,” she added.

“Oh, no, I have one, actually,” Volf said happily. “Some bowls, and… yeah, I have this covered.”

Bryll put one hand on Volf’s shoulder and the other on her chest. “I knew I could count on you. Okay, you get all that while I get the food.”

“You got it!” Volf said, pumping his fist.

The two of them split off to forage while Heike and Askeladden went to gather wood for a fire. Unsure of what to do in the meantime, Riza found an area next to their usual campfire spot, kicked away some rocks and stomped at the ground to make a nice level area. When Askeladden and Heike returned, he asked if they could get him a mat or a blanket in exchange for having Riza start the fire.

“Oh!” Heike exclaimed, “Like that thing you outlanders do? A picnic?”

“Uh, kinda. I just wanted a place to work on the food so I don’t have it on the ground, you know?”

“Gods, you’re awfully bossy today,” Askeladden complained.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just— ”

Askeladded waved him off. “No, no, it’s alright. Anything for the  _ master chef _ .”

Riza grimaced, closed his eyes and sighed.

The other two went off to look for a blanket while Riza bent down to get the fire up and running.

“Hey, Dozens!” Bryll’s voice called from behind.

Riza turned around and saw Bryll carrying two small baskets full of ingredients. Next to her was a young man who looked shockingly similar to Bryll, who was also wearing a thick fur cowl. He carried the bag full of kebbits and walked with a barely discernible limp.

Bryll nodded her head towards her companion. “I ran into my brother on the way here. He just got out of the healer’s hut a moment ago.” They stopped just short of Riza. “Marm, this is Dozens. Dozens, this is Marm.”

Riza stood up. “Oh, um… hello.”

Marm shook Riza’s hand. “Hi! it’s nice to finally meet you!” he said with a gentle smile. “Bryll’s told me a lot about you, especially about your cooking. I’m excited to try it.”

Riza, who was already flustered from holding a handsome man’s hand, stammered out a “Well, um, I, uh…” before glancing at Bryll. “I-I’ll be sure to live up to your, uh, expectations.”

"So formal!" Marm laughed. "Well, I can't wait."

Marm and Bryll handed off their supplies and sat down next to the fire. 

"Where’d the other two run off to?" Bryll asked.

"I, um, asked them to find me a mat to prepare the food on," Riza stammered.

"Ooh, smart thinking," Marm said. "You really know what you're doing."

"T-thanks," Riza said, crouching next to the fire.

Bryll leaned in and whispered something to Marm, who said "Ahhhh, I'll keep that in mind."

_ Oh gods, what's this now? _

”So outlander,” Marm continued. “are you excited for your trials?”

“I… I guess, yeah.”

Marm nodded. “That’s good to hear. How’s my sister been as a teacher? I tried to teach her everything I knew, but she got too smart for me.”

Bryll smiled and rolled her eyes.

“I think she’s been great,” Riza responded. “Though I guess I don’t know what trials I’m being prepared for, so…”

Marm turned to Bryll. “What trials are you having him do?”

“Well, not daddy’s, that’s for sure.”

“Oof, yeah, no,” Marm said with a wince.

“And we can’t do anything that involves the forest.” Bryll said. “Um, we’re hoping that some of the council members will come around and let him take their trials.”

"Maybe." Marm frowned. "Many on the council are more stubborn than they're worth."

Bryll whistled out a sigh. "Yeah, they are, aren't they?"

The three of them shared a silent nod.

“So, um, what do you do?” Riza asked Marm.

“I’m a champion. I go and fight the ‘enemies of the tribe,’” he said in a mock-authoritative voice while puffing out his chest.

“If we still did raiding parties, Marm and I would be on the front lines, basically,” Bryll explained. “But for now it just means killing off all those damn monsters in the forest.”

"I will say, I've missed fighting alongside you, Bryll," Marm admitted. "Though a part of me is glad you've been safe from the monsters out there."

“Well, I fought a horde of turoths the other week.”

Marm's face dropped slightly. "Oh, really?"

“She was amazing, too.” Riza confirmed. “She toppled a whole tree—” 

"Hey, Dozens, check this out!" someone shouted from behind Riza.

The trio looked up from their conversation and saw Volf, assisted by Irwinsson, carrying a metal frame of some sort, as well as some clanking burlap bags.

"What is that thing?" Bryll asked.

"Neat, right?" Volf exclaimed proudly. "I found it with my stuff. I think I was going to make something out of it, but I realized we could use it to put a pan over the campfire!"

"Whoa, that's…" Riza said wide-eyed, "that's perfect, Volf! I don't know what to say!"

Irwinsson and Volf carefully set the frame over the campfire, and the two of them set the cookware with the baskets of food. 

Irwinsson handed Riza a bag filled with berries, nuts and mushrooms. "Um, I d-didn't want to intrude,” he stammered, “um, but, uh, w-when I heard you were cooking, I went and got some stuff I foraged yesterday, um, y'know, in case you wanted to use it."

"No, yeah, I'll definitely have a use for them, thank you!"

"Eheheh… I'm glad!" Irwinsson chuckled nervously.

Volf and Irwinsson sat down with Bryll and Marm.

"Irwinsson, what's happening with you?" Marm asked happily.

Irwinsson started fidgeting with his hands. "Oh, uh, I'm doing fine, how's your leg?"

"It’s doing great, now.” Marm put his hand on Irwinsson’s shoulder, who tensed up at the touch. “I was lucky you were there, or that kurask would have taken it clean off."

"Oh, um, ahah, no problem. It was nothing."

“Nothing?!” Marm cried. “Where would I be without you, Irwinsson? Inside a kurask’s belly, that’s where.”

“Irwinsson's a true hero if I've ever seen one. He saved me from that cockatrice too, remember?" Bryll added.

Volf nodded. “And he distracted that pyrefiend before it could find me.”

“And he found me in the forest that night,” Riza said quietly.

“I think that warrants an honorific!” Marm announced, putting his hands together and holding them in front of his lips. “Irwinsson… Manfinder, perhaps?”

Volf shook his head. “He sounds like a matchmaker. What do you think, Irwin?”

Irwinsson had turned away, his face glowing a beet red. “N-nothing. It was nothing…” he mumbled.

“Hmm… You’re right, Bryll. Him and Dozens are a lot alike,” Marm noted.

“What?” Riza and Irwinsson said in sync.

Bryll, Marm, and Volf laughed as Heike and Askeladden returned, carrying a rolled up mat. Between them, a young blonde boy holding up the center. Per Riza's instructions, they laid out the mat and moved the supplies on top.

"Hey, I hope ya don't mind, I brought my cousin Erjolf," Askeladden said. "Wait — I didn't realize this was going to be a party."

"Um, me either," Riza admitted, taking stock of his supplies.

Bryll steepled her hand in front of her mouth. "I had brought extra vegetables, but I don't know if we have enough kebbit."

"Oh, um, I-I can get some from home," Irwinsson offered while standing up.

"Are you sure?" Riza asked. "I don't want to impose."

"Oh, uh, no, it’s no problem,” Irwinsson said, smiling nervously and crossing his arms.” Um, d-did you want me to grab anything else while I'm there?"

"Um… maybe a different meat if you got it. Something less gamey."

"S-something less gamey. Y-yeah, I’ll see what I got!" Irwinsson went off, and Erjolf took his spot at the campfire.

As Askeladden went to sit down, Heike leaned down to Riza and said "Hey Dozens, you need help with the prep work?"

"Yeah, that'd be amazing, actually."

Heike pumped her fists. "Alright, just leave it to me, Chef Dozens!"

Riza set her to work on preparing the kebbit while he handled the vegetables. Eventually Irwinsson returned not just with a monstrous mound of meat, but also a monstrous mound of a man with a thick blonde beard and no shirt, carrying a keg on his shoulder.

"Heyyy, Thok!” Marm waved. “You heard about the party too?"

"Thok hear from tiny Irwinsson that his precious siblings will enjoy food from the mightiest cook in the land! –" he bellowed with an inappropriately powerful voice that brought the world to silence.

Riza gulped and kept his head down.

"– and Thok wasn't even invited!"

Marm laughed. "Sorry about that, Thok, I ran into Bryll the moment I walked outside."

"Ahhh, that's why Thok brings ale! To celebrate Marm's swift recovery!" Thok said cheerily, setting down the keg. It landed with a heavy crash that picked up a cloud of dust, and Riza quickly shielded the bowls of food with his body.

"Hey, you ox!" Bryll scolded. "Not so close to the food!"

"Oh, Thok sorry, Tiny Chef."

"Um, it's okay," Riza muttered without looking up.

“Oh Thok, I don’t think you two have met,” Bryll said. “This is Dozens, the outlander who’s taking our trials.”

Thok sat down on the keg, surveying Riza working diligently on the vegetables. “Ahh, So Tiny Chef is the outlander Daddy-Thok talks about.” He stroked his beard. “Hmm… Daddy-Thok right. Tiny Chef is puny. Too scrawny to be a champion.”

As true as the statement was, it didn’t keep it from stinging.

“But Daddy-Thok said that about Marmaros, too,” Thok continued. “Instead of mighty and strong like Thok, Marm is quick and smart, much smarter than Thok. That’s the way Marm pass his trials and become champion alongside his brother!”

“You hear that, Dozens? Even Thok thinks you can do it!” Heike called.

Riza kept his focus on the mushrooms he was cutting.  _ That’s not at all what he said. _

Askeladden snatched a carrot from Riza’s pile and started snacking on it.

“Hey, you better watch out, Askeladden!” Heike warned. “Dozens has a knife now, so you better not be mean to him!”

“Look, I’m  _ hungry _ !” Askeladden whined, spraying carrot bits everywhere. “I didn’t realize this was going to be a whole ordeal.”

Heike shook her head in dismay. “Are you just going to take that, Dozens?”

Riza shrugged. “It’s just a carrot. And if you’re that hungry, Askeladden, I’ll be sure to make your plate first.”

“What? You’d do that for me?” Askeladden said. “But what about all my poor, starving friends?”

“Anything to shut you up,” Volf responded.

The group of friends nodded in agreement, then started laughing as Askeladden plopped back in his seat and shook his head.

***

To help speed up the cooking process, the other partygoers decided to give Riza and Heike some space to work without distraction, and went off to play games to kill time. Erjolf challenged Thok to a 1000 push-up contest that Thok dramatically lost on purpose, and paraded the new push-up champion around on his back to the applause of the onlookers.

Heike finished chopping the meat and set down her knife. “Okay, what do you need me to do next?”

Riza gathered up the onions he had just sliced and threw them in a pan. “Um… get those bowls and fill one with flour, one with the eggs, and one with the crumbs.”

“What? You’re not mixing them?”

Riza poured some oil into the pan and placed it over the fire. “Nah, I need them seperate.” 

“I’m taking notes, Dozens, just you watch! Someday I’ll beat you at cooking!” Heike announced.

_ Does everything have to be a competition with these people? _

“Um, I forgot to mention, be sure to whisk the eggs together with that fork,” Riza said while keeping an eye on the pan.

“You got it!”

Riza threw in the onions and caramelized them until they were a nice, golden brown before adding in the mushrooms.

"So, did your mom or dad teach you this?" Heike asked as she prepared the bowls.

Riza shook his head. "Mm, no, Inga’s been making me this every so often. I help her out, like how you’re helping me, actually, and I just, y'know, picked it up."

"Oh, so helping you cook  _ will  _ help me surpass you!"

"I guess," Riza laughed.

"Wait, so is this going to be the first time you've made this!?"

Riza smiled softly. "Yeah, for like ten people too. Can you believe it?" 

"Woow, you're so confident, Dozens! Heike said, awestruck. “It’s nice to see you so in charge of things. You’re usually so quiet.”

“... It’s weird. Bryll said the same thing the other day.”

"Will you make this for your parents too, when you see them again?"

Riza felt a surge of bitterness rise in his throat.  _ As if. They clearly never want to see me again.  _ "Um, We'll see. Can you bring me those herbs and the cream?"

Heike jumped up and handed off the requested ingredients, then watched, enraptured, as Riza poured them into the pan and mixed everything together into a creamy gravy.

Heike took a deep sniff of the mixture. "Ahhh, it smells so good, Dozens!"

Satisfied with the picturesque look of the sauce, Riza took the compliment in stride. He grabbed a small urn from the work area and poured the gravy into it, then added more oil to the pan.

"I, uh, never knew you were so interested in cooking, Heike,” Riza noted. “I'd've asked you to help me sooner if you'd told me."

"Well, I used to cook with – well, against – my sister Dahlia all the time,” Heike said, “but I haven't had anyone to compete with since."

"Dahlia? I… don't think I've met her yet."

"Yeah. She, um, died in battle a few years back. Hunting a basilisk."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. She died like a real Fremennik," Heike said as Riza handed her the bowls of flour and egg to hold. "I do miss her, though. We always used to challenge each other to silly little competitions. I always felt like it was our way of helping each other improve."

Riza saw Heike look over at Bryll. "Her and Bryll were really close, too," she continued. "I know it sounds weird, but sometimes I feel guilty — that I wasn't able to save her for both our sakes."

Riza opened his mouth to disagree, but Heike continued before he could.

"But in the end, all I can do is look forward and become the best warrior I can be, so that I know that I can keep everyone safe."

Riza stared at Heike, trying to come up with what to say. "That's amazing, Heike," He said finally. "I'm sure she's proud of what you've become."

Heike smiled. "Aw, Dozens, that’s sweet of you to say," she said. “What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

As he considered his response, Riza put on some gloves, dredged the first kebbit chunk and gently placed it on the pan, which started sizzling satisfyingly. Upon hearing this, Byll, Volf, and Askeladden all hurried over and sat down to watch.

“What are you guys talking about?” Volf asked.

“I was just asking Dozens if he has any siblings,” Heike explained.

Bryll tilted her head. “Oh, yeah, you never really talk about your family, Dozens.”

“Y-yeah,” Riza muttered bitterly. “Um… I’m an only child, but my parents took in my cousin, T’fruti, a little after I was born, so she’s like a sister to me.”

“T’fruti?” Bryll repeated, putting her hands on her cheeks. “What a pretty name. What’s she like?”

“She’s, like, y’know, smart, funny, one of those people who can make friends everywhere they go.” Riza kept adding meat to the pan. “She loves jewelry. You could hear her coming because her bracelets and hair-rings would jangle together when she walked.”

Riza scoffed wistfully at a memory of a time he could hear T’fruti walking down the street from outside his window.

“Um, she used to take me shopping and have me try on necklaces and earrings and stuff for her before she decided to buy them.”

“Really? Earrings too?” Heike asked.

“Yeah. I had piercings, but I think they’ve healed by now.”

A round of delighted murmurs echoed between the Fremennik present.

“Does she wear makeup too?” Heike asked.

“Oh, yeah.”

Bryll put her hands over her mouth. “Did she put makeup on you too?”

“I mean, yeah, sometimes.”

Heike and Bryll squealed. “Ahh! I want to see Dozens in city boy makeup!” Heike demanded.

“Hey, maybe someday we can travel down to Seers together and buy everything to make Dozens look pretty,” Volf suggested.

“You’ll need a lot to make  _ his  _ face look pretty,” Askeladden teased. 

Heike shook her head. “Are you going to take that, Dozens?”

Riza smiled and locked eyes with Askeladden. “It’s okay, he’s just getting the last plate now.”

“What? No! That’s not fair!”

Riza shrugged and rotated out the cooked kebbits with a new batch, then took off his gloves and arranged the first few plates. Upon each were three golden brown kebbit schnitzels, shimmering with oil and dusted with a sprinkling of herbs. They had some blackened seared carrots beside them, and the creamy mushroom gravy poured on top.

With that Riza carefully walked a plate over to Askeladden, whose eyes were sparkling with hope — 

— and then sat down next to him and started eating.

The people watching laughed and lauded as Askeladden’s face dropped at the betrayal. 

Riza cut off a piece of his schnitzel with his knife, then pointed his fork at Heike. “Hey, could you make the rest of the plates while I eat?”

“Dozens! How could you—” 

“You can count on me!” Heike interrupted.

“I thought we were friends!”

Riza covered his mouth and finished chewing. “Thanks, I’m starving.”

“Dozens, you’re a monster!”

Riza locked eyes with Askeladden and ate another bite of his food. “The monsters have to eat too.”

***

Despite his theatrics, Riza only ate the one kebbit before reloading the plate and handing it off to Askeladden, who took it begrudgingly, his empty stomach winning out over his wounded pride. Riza got back to work handling the cooking while Heike arranged the plates. Eventually Riza managed to convince her to let him take over while she enjoyed the food herself.

The schnitzel was as deliciously savory and heartening as expected, and the smooth, aromatic gravy complimented it by soaking in and melting the flavors together. Using a spare pan, Riza also roasted up some nuts and made a sweet compote out of the berries to add some extra flavors to the plate.

The seared carrots went over well among the diners, so much so that even the allegedly infamous carnivore Erjolf asked for more. He also asked if Riza could cook for him every day. Though he politely declined, the request made something within Riza feel warm and fuzzy.

Thok then broke open the keg and all the party-goers who had passed their trials toasted the chef and enjoyed a glass of ale with their meal.

After Riza’s friends begged him to stop cooking so he could join them and chat, he finally removed the pan from the fire and sat down to eat the small chunks he had set aside for himself. 

_ Okay, now to try this all together. The sweetness of the berries should help with the dryness. _

Riza cut off a big bite of schnitzel, complete with gravy and compote, and tasted his work.

_ … Hm. Inga makes it better. How does she keep it so moist? I'll have to ask her the next chance I get. _

Riza closed his eyes and sighed between bites.  _ Gods, it does actually feel good to sit down. I didn’t realize how in the zone I was while cooking. I'm exhausted now! _

_ … Is that the focus that Volf thinks I need when fighting? _

_ I feel like my thoughts wander too much for that to be what he meant… Then again, I wasn't really thinking all that much when I was cooking, I was just lost in it. Maybe I'll keep that in mind... _

"I wonder what Brundt will call me when I become a real Fremennik," Heike said as Riza faded back into the conversation.

_ Call you? What's this now? _

“Um, I dunno how much it, uh, fits, but, uh, I-I could see you as a Frejalune Midfjord.” Irwinsson suggested.

Heike’s face lit up and she pumped her fists. “Aww, yeah! A real strong name!” she cheered. “I like it! What do you think, Volf?"

Volf chewed his food in thought. "Hmm… well,” he started, “you match Sif Fieldwalker in a lot of ways."

Heike deflated slightly. "Are you just saying that because I want to be a shield-maiden?"

"No, no, you have a lot of other similarities besides that.” Volf explained. “Not least of which is that you both have that long golden hair."

Riza, who had never seen Heike without her helmet on, stared quizzically at the two of them.

"What about me?" Askeladden asked. "I'm thinking Bukalla Daggeraxe."

"More like Harald Dagger-pants!" Heike retorted.

Volf nodded. "I can see him naming you after Harald the Fool."

"Now that's just plain rude," Askeladden pouted. "Now Dozens on the other hand…"

Riza shook his head. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about."

"When you pass your trials, the chief gives you a new name — the name of one of our ancestors." Bryll explained. "I was given my name after Bryll One-eye, who slew a jet-black dragon and saved Sogthorpe."

Riza’s eyes narrowed. _ Then who were the ancestors named after? _

“And Thok named after Thok the Champion, just like Daddy-Thok, and Granddaddy-Thok, and every First-Thok before.” Thok said proudly.

“We’re proud to have mighty Thoks all the way down in our family,” Marm laughed.

Thok wiped away a tear. “And Thok proud to have mighty brother and sister!”

Heike turned to Riza. "Volf's a lorekeeper, so he knows most, if not all, of the old stories.” She turned back to Volf. “So, what do you think would work for Dozens?”

"Hmm… well, Sigvald the Farstrider makes the most sense," Volf said after some thought. "He travelled from Sogthorpe to Rellekka by boat, then went from Rellekka to the far east and back on foot during the crusades. He also got shot by an arrow, but he lost an eye."

"Um... I don’t know how much we should assume about something like this,” Riza said, drifting off as he spoke.

“Aw, why not?” Heike asked innocently. “When you become a real Fremennik after your trials—“

Riza stared at the ground. “I-I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he interrupted. “Brundt never said that I would become a Fremennik if I somehow passed. He just wants me to do the trials so that his son can do better than me.”

An awkward silence floated between the group, who looked at each other with bemusement. Marm’s eyes narrowed in thought as he nodded.

“There’s no way he wouldn’t let you become a real Fremennik after proving yourself,” Bryll said.

“Yeah, especially after how hard you’ve been working,” Volf added.

“Don’t be so pessimistic, Dozens!” Heike concluded.

With a sunken heart, Riza mumbled “I… I guess. Forget I said anything…” 

Riza stood up and started taking the empty dishes away before Volf stopped him and took them out of his hands.

“Oh, I was just going to go wash—“

“Dozens, please, you’ve done enough,” he said firmly. “Askeladden and I can take care of these.” 

“Huh?” Askeladden grunted.

“N-no, I’ll feel guilty if I made you—”

Bryll grabbed Riza’s arm and dragged him to sit down next to her. “No, Dozens. Join us and relax, please.”

Riza watched forlornly as Volf and Askeladden gathered all the dirty cookware and took it away to be washed. As for everyone else, while they digested their delicious meal, they chatted merrily around the fireplace, forgoing more training for a chance to be with friends. 

And for the first time in so long, despite all his uncertainty, Riza felt the joy of being with people who cared about him, and he was exhilarated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	17. Chapter 17

For as quickly as it sprung together, the impromptu party lasted for a good many hours. Eventually, the sun set on the gathering, casting a long purple shadow over the land, and Riza realized that it was soon time to go home.

The first to leave the party was Irwinsson, who sputtered that he forgot he had to get up early the next day and apologized several times for leaving so suddenly. Riza thanked him again for providing the extra food, and handed him some of the remaining schnitzel to give to Jormun as a treat.

Erjolf ended up falling asleep with his head resting on Thok’s arm. The mighty Fremennik gently picked up the small boy with one hand, hoisted the empty keg in the other, and set off to deliver the push-up champion to his hard-won bed. Askeladden followed behind, hot on their heels, but not before announcing to Riza that he’ll ‘get him back for what he did today.’

Heike wanted to squeeze in one more training session before it became dark, and convinced Bryll to assist her. They both thanked Riza for the food and waved apologetically as they dashed towards the forest.

That just left Marm and Volf to do the remaining cleanup, which Riza wouldn’t allow to continue without his assistance. They gathered up the remaining cookware and started lugging the supplies back to Volf’s place to wash.

“I have to say, Dozens, your food lived up to the hype,” Marm said. “Your ancestors would be proud of that meal.”

Riza turned away and smiled. “Um, thanks. Inga makes it better, though.”

Marm tilted his head down to catch Riza’s gaze. “You don’t understand, Dozens, you’re still so young. You keep cooking like that and by the time you’re my age you’ll be better than the greatest chefs on Gielinor.”

“And speaking of Inga,” Volf interjected, “there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll pass her trial.”

Riza shrugged. “I mean… what if I don’t, though?”

“Then… nothing changes, I guess,” Marm said. “You said it yourself, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to become a true Fremennik after passing the trials.”

“That’s true…” Riza mumbled as Volf looked over with a furrowed brow.

“What, this again?” Volf complained. “There’s no way Brundt would deny him that if he passed his trials fairly.”

“I mean, you’re the lorekeeper, has something like this ever happened before?” Marm challenged. “Because as far as my father described it, Dozens was only supposed to take the trials as a rival to our youths.”

_ That’s what I’ve been saying… _

Volf was silent for a moment as they arrived at one of the two-story houses on the same road as Inga’s hut. “No. I guess this is the first time this has happened. Though…”

Volf shook his head. “I swear there was something, but I just can’t remember...” he said as he passed through the front curtain.

Riza noticed Marm shift his weight off of his bad leg.

“Hey, are you okay?” Riza asked.

“Uh… yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Marm said as he followed Volf inside, with Riza close behind.

The first room of Volf's house was structured identically to Inga’s  –  kitchen to the left, seats on the right, hearth in the center. The key difference, however, was the collection of carvings, maps, and tapestries that lined almost every inch of the walls. Some were more crude than others, but Riza recognized the same runescript on them that was on the marker outside the village.

Standing over the table was a thin woman wearing a babushka, who looked up from kneading bread as they entered. “Oh, Volf, you’re back with more dishes,” she said, her mousy voice drenched in a thick accent. “I see you also brought Marmaros and... “

She stared silently at Riza.

“Hey, mom, this is Dozens, the outlander who’s taking our trial,” Volf began, “Dozens, this is my mom, Ingrid.”

_ Well, this could go either way.  _ Riza smiled awkwardly and peeked a hand out from the dishes for a quick wave. “Um, hello.”

“Hello," she said plainly. "So you’re the outlander."

Riza nodded, and Ingrid gave no further response.

“We’re just going to finish up cleaning these dishes,” Volf interjected. “If you have any we can clean those up too.”

“Alright,” Ingrid said as she stacked some bowls and added them to Volf’s pile.

“Um, I really hate to do this, but…” Marm started to say with a painful wince on his face.

Riza took the dishes out of Marm’s hands. “I understand. You go get some rest.”

Marm nodded, and started limping his way to the door.

“Um, thank you for joining us!” Riza called after him.

“No, thank you for that delicious meal! Marm called as he departed. “Remind me to pay you back for that someday.” 

Riza frowned. “Should we help him?”

Volf looked up from the sink. “His house isn’t that far, but… yeah, maybe we should.”

“You keep cleaning, Volf. I’ll help him home,” Ingrid stated as she made her way after Marm.

“You got it, mom!” Volf yelled after her.

“That worked out well,” Riza said happily.

Riza and Volf started working on the dishes, alternating between washing and drying when they got tired of doing the same task. 

_ I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who thought that Brundt wasn't going to make me a Fremennik. _

_ Why did my friends even think that me becoming a Fremennik was ever on the table? I guess it's hard for them to picture anything they're not used to. _

_ … no, that's not fair to say. They're just hoping for the best for me. They're all… nice like that. _

_ … I really don't deserve them. _

“So what are you going to do later?” Volf asked, breaking the silence.

“Um… I have to go home. I”m not allowed out after dark,” Riza reminded him.

“Oh, that’s right.”

“I mean, it’s better that way. Less opportunity for Beigarth to kick my ass, I guess,” Riza said bitterly. “Him and his friends tried dragging me out of the village one time during the day, I can only imagine what they’d do to me at night.”

Volf fumbled the dish he was drying, but caught it before it fell. "They did what!?" he yelled, "When did that happen!?" 

"Like a few months ago," Riza said.

"Why didn't you tell us!?" Volf cried. "That's not right, Dozens!"

Rizas face scrunched. "I-I was embarrassed," he said defensively, "Besides, I can't raise a fuss about things like that anyway. I don't want to be kicked out of the village for causing problems."

Volf shook his head slowly. "I can't believe they would stoop so low."

"I mean, did you see the bruises on my face from when they beat me up last month?"

"I-I know, but…" Volf sighed, "I used to be friends with them, and I never would have thought they'd be so…"

Riza subtly rolled his eyes.  _ Well, believe it, Volf. They're fucking awful. _

"I… didn't know you used to be their friends," Riza admitted.

"Yeah, I did, but then I realized I needed to take my trials more seriously, so I stopped hanging around with them," Volf explained, his eyes staring distantly. "We kinda drifted apart after that…"

Riza didn’t respond, and they worked in silence for a moment.

“Hey, Dozens,” Volf said out of the blue. “I know I say it a lot, but you’ve been doing really well this past month.”

Riza sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.

Volf paused briefly, then looked back down at his task. “Do you think you haven’t been?”

Riza opened his mouth to say something, but held his tongue again. 

“Dozens,” Volf said, “I think what you need is more confidence.” 

Riza gave Volf a sideways glance. “Uh huh.”

Volf smiled. ”No, I’m serious! Did you see how well you cooked for everyone today?" he lauded. "If you brought that energy to everything you did, then you’d be amazing!”

Riza shrugged. “It was only nine people…”

“You think I can cook for nine people like that!? Dozens, you should be proud of yourself!”

The dish Riza was holding  _ splashed _ in the sink, and he held it underwater. “W-where has pride gotten me, Volf!?”

Volf's face deflated. ”... What?”

Riza’s shoulders peaked for a moment, then he turned to face Volf. ” _ Pride _ is what got me attacked in the woods.  _ Pride  _ is what got me thrown out of the village the first time.”

Riza put his hand up to his mouth, and turned away. “I was  _ confident  _ that my parents cared about me and would come and get me,” he croaked heavily. “B-but, in the end the world didn’t care about my confidence, instead it spat in my face and trapped me here, in this– in this...”

Feeling a surge flowing through his head, Riza pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. With a deep breath he managed to relax his shoulders and keep himself from crying. 

"I'm sorry," Riza said, picking up another dirty dish. "I-I didn’t mean to unload that on you."

Volf was frozen for a moment, before exhaling and putting his hand on Riza’s shoulder. "Hey, I get it. You're stressed from today. Why don't you let me handle the rest of the dishes?"

Riza’s face scrunched defeatedly, "Volf, please, just let me do this."

"A-alright," Volf relented.

Ingrid returned soon after to the awkward silence that had fallen between the two boys toiling away.

She peered over Volf’s shoulder. "How is the washing coming along?"

"Good," Volf responded. "We're just about done."

"What will you do after?" she asked.

Vof glanced at Riza for a second. "Um, Brundt asked me to look at something, so I'll probably be working on that."

"Ah, a request from the chief himself!" Ingrid cheered softly. “What did I say? All your hard work would pay off someday.”

Volf smiled. “Aw, thanks mom.”

“What about you, outlander?” she asked Riza. “Are you working hard to prepare for your trials?”

Riza, who was expecting to be ignored, croaked as he tried to stammer out a response.

“You should have seen him, mom!” Volf declared, “Dozens cooked a big meal for  _ nine people _ today and didn’t even break a sweat!”

Ingrid nodded once with a subtle flash of surprise on her face. “Impressive, outlander. Your ancestors would be proud.”

_ The Fremennik and their pride… _ “Um, yeah, it-it was nothing, though,” Riza mumbled.

Ingrid leaned in, her head tilted in confusion. “Hm?”

“Oh, uh, I said it was nothing,” Riza repeated.

Ingrid’s face twisted even more and she looked toward her son. “I… I don’t understand?”

“Oh, uh, he’s trying to say it was ‘nothing,’ like, uh, it ‘was nothing that impressive,” Volf clarified.

“Ah!” Ingrid said, before  _ tsking _ and waving a hand. “That’s not true, outlander. Working hard and enjoying yourself is never nothing.”

Riza was about to say “I guess” but he remembered Bryll’s ultimatum, and he corrected himself, saying “Th-that’s true” instead. 

Riza narrowed his eyes for a moment.  _ I have too many voices in my head. _

Ingrid returned to her table and resumed working on her dough. “So you like to cook, outlander?” she asked, “Someday you should go to my home, to Norrumhal. There you will experience food you would have never imagined from the outlands.”

“That’s… the city to the far north, right?” Riza asked, recalling the explanation Bryll gave him.

Ingrid shook her head. “City is the wrong word. It is a, uh, a… like a castle, like a…”

“A fortress,” Volf offered.

Ingrid waggled her finger at Volf approvingly. “Yes, a fortress. It is so far north they cannot grow what we do here,” she explained, “so their food is as powerful and as hearty as the beasts they hunt. I think you would like it there.”

Riza smiled awkwardly “Um, I would love to see it,” he said before he flashed back to the lecture on how he was never allowed on the Rellekkan ships. “S-someday, at least.”

“Hm,” Ingrid nodded. “If you go, be sure to bring Volf with you.” she grinned mischievously. “They talk funnier than me, and an outlander like you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Riza laughed quietly. “Have you ever been there, Volf?”

“Yeah, I’ve sailed up with my dad before,” Volf said. “Which, I wouldn’t recommend doing, but, uh, yeah, it’s really something else. Cold, for one thing.”

Riza’s eyes widened gleefully. “Whoaa, does it always snow there, then?”

Volf tilted his head and pondered. “More like the snow doesn’t really go away.”

Riza’s eyes glossed over as his imagination took off with this limited information.  _ Wow! Good food AND it’s Wintumber every day!? That sounds amazing! _

“Hey, maybe someday my mom and I can make you something from there so you can try it?” Volf suggested.

Riza gasped and put his hands together. “Ah! C-can I be there when you make it? So I can see what it is you do?”

“Yeah, that’d be cool!” Volf cheered before his face dropped to something more serious.

He suddenly leaned in close to Riza, and Riza struggled to keep from interpreting the situation incorrectly. “But wait, Dozens..? Do you think you could pick it up?” Volf said eerily, his eyes narrowing with each word. “Are you…  _ confident? _ ” 

Riza groaned, pursing his lips in spite. After shaking his head, he joined in Volf’s triumphant giggles, and they went back to washing the remaining dishes.

***

Armod watched Beigarth’s arm  _ swish _ through the air as he tossed another stone over the hill and over the piers, landing with a distant  _ plop _ in the ocean.

As in, he watched him do it for the hundredth time today, because there wasn't anything more interesting happening.

It was unclear to Armod why him and his friends were still waiting at the crest of the hill for Janus to arrive. Sunset was soon approaching, and it wasn't like the old man was going to take them night fishing. 

Another broken promise from the elders to add to the pile.

Reinn and Armod leaned against the fence aimlessly, as Hild, Signey, and Beigarth passed the time displacing rocks and, probably, terrorizing the shallow-water fish.

“What was it you said your dad said, Armod?” Beigarth asked, spite poisoning his already harsh voice. “‘We’ve tried to teach them everything we could?’”

Armod scoffed. “Something like that.”

Beigarth picked up another rock and weighed it in his hand. “Heh, how long has your dad been a lying sack of—” 

“Forever, Beigarth,” Armod interrupted, holding a shrug for a few seconds. “Literally forever. Maybe if he actually cared about us he would get his stupid council to actually  _ show up _ to teach us something, but here we are.”

“I mean, I didn’t want to go fishing anyway.” Signey admitted, “Fish are so… gross, and slimy.”

Hild sighed. “I kinda wanted to. It’s been so  _ boooring _ ever since those stupid monsters broke the bridge out of town.”

“I mean, I don’t know why you keep dragging me to these,” Reinn muttered. “It’s insulting. I already know how to do all of this.”

The other four friends subtly shared glances at each other, refreshing their silent contract to not confront Reinn when he got on one of these rants.

Reinn continued. “Like, I already know how to fish, I know how to cook, I know how to hunt, I don't  _ need _ to be shown how to do things like I’m a child! It’s like my mom says — I know everything I need to for the trials, but the other  _ idiots _ on the council keep changing the rules! It’s not fair that they always treat us like this!”

Everyone except Signey, who had lost herself in her own thoughts, nodded agreeably. 

“Yeah, it’s not fair!” Hild added.

In the distance Armod could see his old friend Volf approaching, holding a stone carving of some kind in his hand. What Armod could also see was the subtle increase in the weight of Volf’s gait, and the forced, approachable expression Volf wore when he was hiding his frustration.

_ Ugh… I don’t know if I want to bother with that,  _ Armod decided in the moments before Volf arrived.

“Hey, Volf,” Armod said diplomatically, nodding his head in greeting. “How was the party?”

“Uh, it was great. I… didn’t realize you guys were around.”

“It was hard not to notice it,” Armod said plainly. “It smelled great from far away.”

Volf put his hands on his hips. “Yeah. I uh...” he shrugged, nonplussed. “I can guess why you didn’t show up.”

“I’m not eating what that outlander makes,” Reinn sneered. “Who knows what weird Zamorakian things he’d put in it?”

Volf’s head tilted sardonically. “He’s not Zamorakian.”

Reinn scowled through his bangs. “Yeah, he is. Burning bones after a meal is a Zamorakian thing.”

Volf put his hand to his face. ”He’s Karamjan!” 

Reinn glanced away incredulously. “There can be Zamorakian Karamjans.”

Volf threw his hands up. “I’m not having this conversation. I just came to ask Signey to look at something for me.”

Signey seemed to fade into the discussion and paused from running her fingers through her hair. “Who, me?”

“Yeah, it’s this.” Volf handed her a stone with runescript and a triangular knot carved onto it. “The chief asked me to look at it and I’m struggling to decipher the second line.”

Signey held the stone gingerly with one hand, then rested the thumb of her other hand on the tip of her teeth, periodically running her pinky along the letters. Her eyes glossed over, entranced by the stylings of the runescript.

Armod saw as Volf crossed his arms while he waited.  _ Oof, that’s not good. He’s definitely mad at us about something… Hrm... _

Armod closed his eyes for a second to center himself. “Hey, what’s the matter, Volf? You seem upset.”

Volf shrugged at first, opting to hold his tongue. “I am, a little.” he said finally. “I just heard about that stunt you guys pulled, trying to drag the outlander into the forest.”

_ Ah, shit, here it comes, _ Armod thought as a silence hung over the group.

Hild raised her hands. ”I mean, I didn’t have anything to do about that. I was at home.”

Beigarth threw another rock towards the ocean. ”Who cares about what happens to that freak?” he spat, turning around.

”I do. He’s my friend and what you did was pretty fucked up,” Volf explained. “Not to mention that time you guys beat him up.”

Armod was relieved when none of his friends slipped up and asked "which time?"

”Hey, your weirdo  _ friend’s _ pretty fucked up to begin with.” Beigarth said, glowering as he walked up to Volf slowly. “You know how rude he is to Reinn’s mom whenever she goes over to Inga’s house? Maybe it’s ‘cause she knows his secret.”

“He doesn’t have any secrets!” Volf yelled.

Beigarth sneered in Volf’s face. ”I thought you weren’t going to have this conversation?”

”Hey, Beigarth, back off. You don’t need to take it out on Volf,” Armod said boredly, “So, what? You want us to apologize or something?”

Volf shrugged. ”A fat lot of good that’d do. He already hates your guys’ guts.”

”Hey, give us a break. That’s pretty much why we stopped bothering him,” Hild interjected. “Figured if we pushed him too hard he’d stab us in our sleep.”

”And then burn our bones for Zamorak,” Reinn added.

Volf’s eyes widened as he put his hands up to his temples. ”Do you guys realize how crazy you sound!? You’re even more superstitious than the elders! It’s no wonder you’re all so miserable all the time!”

“Oh joy, you’ve been so full of stellar life advice for us ever since you passed your trials,” Hild said acidically. “And you even took the time to get off your high unicorn to tell us that!”

Volf groaned softly as he looked away in disgust.

“Hey, Volf, I can see where you got tripped up,” Signey interrupted happily, looking up from the stone. “It’s because this passage, while at a glance looks pretty standard, you can tell that the runescript isn’t actually written in infinitive, which is, in my opinion, kinda spooky for a prophecy, but that’s whatever. Anyway, so when you conjugate this second part like… shoot, where was it... okay, here — blah, blah, blah, the mother’s, no, wait, _her_ _Dóttir_ _Dagnathi_ rose. Rises? Rised? Will rise. — It’s basically just saying that a Dagger-mouth’s daughter is gonna take her mother’s place, is all.”

Signey glanced around through the awkward silence. ”Oh, I’m sorry, were you guys talking? I wasn’t paying attention.”

”Volf was just telling us how we should be feeling sorry for the outlander,” Beigarth grumbled with his back to Volf, facing the ocean.

Signey grimaced. ”Ew, what? That little orphan weirdo?”

Volf released a monster of a sigh and took the stone back from Signey. “Thanks for the help,” he muttered, before turning to the group and raising his hands. “Uh, good luck on the trials, I guess,” he said as he departed.

Once Volf was a sufficient distance away, Armod shared a look with his friends, and everyone laughed incredulously. 

Armod released his hands from his pockets and stretched his arms and his neck. “Yeah, I guess we’ll need it at this rate,” he scoffed, smiling through his crooked teeth.

Reinn shook his head. “I mean, I don’t. I just need the council to stop raising their standards when they test me.”

Beigarth got up from the fence he was leaning on, buried his hands in his pockets and gave the ground a heavy kick, sending a spray of rocks and mud downhill. He then turned and started walking away, his nose crinkled and his eyes sunken.

“Where’re you heading off to?” Armod asked.

“I’m just gonna go home,” he grumbled. “No use hanging around here, waiting for some other idiot to talk down to me.”

“Stay safe,” Armod said after him.

Beigerth didn’t turn around. “Whatever.”

Armod stood up. “Well, Beigarth might have the right idea. The sun’s almost gone, we might as well head home too.”

Hild deflated and her face twisted sadly. “Ugh… I don’t want to go back.”

“I mean, I’ll stay if you do,” Signey offered, to which Hild smiled and sighed with relief.

Armod walked over and gave a one-armed hug to Signey, then to Hild. “Alright. You two stay safe.”

“You too,” Hild said gratefully. “What are you going to do tonight?”

Armod glanced back at Reinn, who was walking over. "Probably hang out with Reinn until Sasslik comes home, then after that, I’ll probably go for a walk in the woods.”

Hild and Signey nodded as Armod walked away, and they each made Reinn give them a hug before he could follow after.

The journey to Sasslik's house was quiet and uneventful, like the village itself, aside from spotting Askeladden dragging a keg down the road. Reinn was never one for idle conversation, so Armod lost himself in his brooding. 

As they approached their destination, Armod turned to the ocean and stared at the evening sky. He breathed in slowly and the scent of frozen seawater filled his nostrils.

Frozen — that was a good way to put it. Before the outlander, before the monsters, before their parents abandoned them, Armod and his friends were frozen. No longer innocent enough to be children, not strong enough to be adults, yet they were trapped somewhere in between.

And Armod wondered — is this the Trial that would finally free them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	18. Chapter 18

Many nights later, Riza was cleaning up the kitchen for Inga as she put the finishing touches on her pumpkin soup. Riza had suggested adding a herb blend he had cooked with a fortnight ago, and it filled the room with a savory, yet spicy aroma.

_ "It smells amazing!" Kyle cheered from over the pot. They did a whimsical kart-wheel over to Riza and hugged him. "When you escape from Rellekka some day, will you come and make this for me?" _

_ You… don't like pumpkin, I thought. _

_ "Oh, right, uh… well I'm older now, so maybe I do like it!" _

_ "That's not fair!" Malone whined. "You've been promised the schnitzel, the soup, the bräten, the bread, AND the red cabbage kraut! Why don't I get any!?” _

_ I never said I wouldn't make it for you, too! _

_ "If I promise to come up to Rellekka and find you first, will you make me all the food instead?" he asked. _

Riza didn't respond, and Malone's mirthful expression changed to one of concern.

_ "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad–" _

A knock rapped against the doorframe around the curtain, and Kyle and Malone faded out of Riza's thoughts. Before Inga had a chance to tell him, Riza dried off his hands on a towel and walked over to see who it was.

“Um ... Askeladden? What’re you doing here?” Riza asked.

Askeladden waved cheerily. “Hey Dozens! I just wanted to see if you were free.” He peered past Riza towards the hearth. “Gods, you’re making food  _ again? _ ”

Riza glanced at Inga, then back at Askeladden. “Um… don’t you have to be home by now?”

“You’re the only one with a curfew, Dozens.”

“...Oh.”

After stepping aside to let Askeladden in, Riza walked over to Inga.

“Um… Askeladden would like to know if I’m free,” he asked.

Inga looked over at Askeladden, who had taken Riza's spot at the table. “Oh, would he now?”

Askeladden’s head rocked playfully as he smiled. “Yeah! It’s for his trials. I’ve a special training regimen for him in mind.”

Inga returned her focus to the soup. “Well, outlander? What do you think? Are you free?” she asked with a half-grin.

It took a moment for Riza to decipher what that meant. He glanced behind him at the dishes he hadn’t finished yet. “Um… I still have to do the dishes first. And, um, after that I need to bring the clothes inside. Uh, and then I need to— “

Askeladden’s rocking slowly came to a stop as Riza continued rambling off his chores.

“I’ll tell you what,” Inga interrupted. “Just finish up the dishes and you can go out with your friend. You can do the rest of the chores tomorrow morning.”

“Are you sure? It won’t take that long,” Riza responded quickly.

“Uh, it won’t!?” Askeladden asked dumbfoundedly.

“No, no, if it’s for your trials then who am I to keep you?” Inga said before pointing her ladle at Riza. “But don’t say I don’t do anything for you, outlander.”

Riza locked eyes with Askeladden and they both smiled. “I won’t, I promise,” he said sincerely before turning to work on the remaining dishes. 

“Hey Dozens, ya want any help with those?” Askeladden asked.

Riza shook his head. “Oh, no, I got it.”

“Phew, good, I didn’t want to anyway.”

_ Wow, so honest!  _ Riza thought as Inga snorted at the exchange.

_ “What do you think he wants to do?” Malone asked, leaning backwards on the counter. “If it’s Askeladden, it could honestly be anything.” _

_ Hey, Malone? _

_ “What’s up, bud?” _

_ Could you and Kyle wait for me to come back in the next room? _

_ Malone’s eyes widened with shock. “Wow!” he teasingly exclaimed. “I see now who your real friends are!” _

Riza rolled his eyes.  _ No, no, it’s not like that and you know it. It’s just Askeladden never shuts up and I don’t want to accidentally talk to you guys when—  _

_ “I know, I know,” Malone sighed, standing up straight. “C’mon, Kyle. Maybe Inga will tell us a story tonight.” _

_ Kyle walked behind Riza and stuck their tongue out at him, then Malone put his arm around their shoulder and they walked towards Inga’s room. _

“You know, it’s funny,” Inga said while putting a bowl of soup in front of Askeladden. 

“I know I am, ma’am. It’s a talent.”

Inga swatted at Askeladden as he giggled. “No, no, what’s funny is that  _ you _ have a training regimen for him.” She sat down across from him. “How do you know how to train him if you’re not supposed to know what your trials are?”

Riza perked up, sliding his gaze sideways.  _ Oh, yeah, what’s up with that? _

“Werrh, oo eef—“ Askeladden started with a mouthful of soup.

Inga groaned and brushed him off with her hands. “Uff! The manners of our youth have gone off to sea.”

Between a spoonful, Askeladden pointed at Inga. “Oo nor.” He swallowed his food. “Dozens here made schnitzel for nine people the other day. He said he learned how to make it from you.”

"Oh, uh, really?" Inga gasped. “How was it?”

“Eh, it was okay," Askeladden responded. "I’ve had better.”

Disbelief bubbled up within Riza.

”Well, if it was just okay, he didn’t learn it from me, then,” Inga scoffed.

Riza turned around sharply. ”You liar!" he snapped at Askeladden. "You had four and threw a tantrum when you couldn’t have a fifth!”

”Hey! I didn’t throw a tantrum!" Askeladden rebutted before shoveling more soup in his mouth. "Aah moh a wrybaby lie oo!”

Riza and Igna glared at Askeladden as he swallowed his food. ”What? I’m not!”

Inga made a brushing gesture with her hands. "I'll never know the truth between the two of you," she said dismissively. ”How’s your father doing? I rarely see him in the longhall these days.”

”Yeah… He’s been really busy lately, what with all the monsters.” Askeladden said.

"That’s a pity," Inga said gently. "I should remember to bring over some food for him and his patients.”

”You should bring him something from the bar, too.” Askeladden suggested, “I keep trying to get some ale for him, but Thora keeps kicking me out!”

"Oh you poor thing," Inga chided.

Askeladden pointed his spoon at Inga. “Right? The nerve of that lady! She acts like I’m going to steal something or something.”

"Knowing you, you probably are!" Riza said, resuming his work.

"Hey, you get back to work or we'll end up leaving tomorrow morning!" Askeladden complained.

Riza simply shook his head as Askeladden’s loud slurping filled the hut once more.

***

Once his chore was complete, Askeladden thanked Inga for the soup, and then he and Riza promptly departed.

Riza hadn’t been outside after sundown often since he came to live in Rellekka, other than when he did nightly chores in the backyard. 

During the day, when Riza could see the treeline, he knew how far away he was from the forest at any given time, and where he could stand before he felt threatened. Now, with the trees hidden behind a cover of darkness, his imagination got the better of him and he grew paranoid that they were encroaching on the village.

Riza stared into the murky darkness, his eyes catching on the dots of lights in the distance. 

_ Just like in Seers Village. _

_ Just like when I was attacked. _

_ Just like that night in the woods. _

A metallic  _ squeak  _ came from behind Riza, who gasped with a start. 

“What?” Askeladden asked, holding up his lantern as the aura of light flickered weakly across his face.

Riza caught his breath, his heart drumming quickly in his chest. “I’m sorry, you… scared me.”

A smile of disbelief crossed Askeladden’s face. “Dozens, we just stepped outside five seconds ago.”

Riza had no response to that, instead choosing to stare at Askeladden sadly. Askeladden’s face slowly melted into a more serious expression.

“Oh… It’s that bad, huh.” 

Riza closed his eyes and sighed. "Where are we going?"

"Follow me, you'll see."

"Um… okay," Riza fretted as he followed behind Askeladden.

_ “Have fun, be safe, Riza!” Kyle called, waving from the front door. _

Riza absentmindedly stopped and waved back at his friends before it struck him that he was waving at nobody. With a modicum of hope he slowly turned back to make sure Askeladden wasn’t— 

“What was that about?’

Riza internally swore and cursed as he stared at Askeladden, unable to come up with an adequate response through the cacophony of panicked voices in his head.

“N— don’t worry about it,” Riza stammered.

Riza felt the lingering pause Askeladden held for years, and it gave time for Riza’s face to burn hotter than the largest volcano on Karamja.

“Y'know, Dozens,” Askeladden said finally, “I think my favorite thing about ya is how much of a weirdo you are. It makes me feel better about myself.”

Riza watched Askeladden walk a few steps forward before following behind. "Glad I can help…" he mumbled.

As they walked down the road, Riza stared at the ground, glancing up at Askeladden’s light periodically to make sure he wouldn't get lost. The village looked different at night, so it was hard for Riza to get a bearing on where he was. They didn't seem to be making any turns, so he figured they weren’t going around the longhall.

"Um, Askeladden, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"No. Askeladden. Stop. Please, just tell me."

"It’s a surprise."

Riza exhaled sharply, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. He could hear the soft waves of the ocean somewhere below him in the inky darkness.

_ Okay so the port is down there. Are we passing by the armor shop? _

Riza glanced around quickly.  _ I don't see Armod or Beigarth anywhere. I really hope this isn't another ambush… _

_ … No, Askeladden wouldn't do that to me, would he? He's… my friend, right? _

_ Unless… did I slight him for something? Oh gods I can't remember! I can’t keep track if we're even or not. _

_ No, Askeladden wouldn't be so cruel. He… he's better than that. I hope. _

Askeladden stopped suddenly and pressed himself against the wall of a building, holding his lantern behind him. He waved over a frozen Riza to come stand next to him, who slowly crept his way over.

Askeladden put a finger to his mouth. "Just wait here for a second," he whispered, before peering around the corner.

_ What? What is this? Why are we sneaking all of a sudden!?  _ Riza thought as sweat formed on his brow.

Riza tried to peer around the corner as well, only for Askeladden to gently push him back against the wall.

_ Oh my gods why!? I hate this! _

In the far distance Riza could hear the creak of a door closing until a metal latch clanked shut. A series of footsteps started crunching through the gravel, moving away from the door. After they had faded away, Askeladden gave the go-ahead to continue.

They approached a large shed just up ahead that was dimly lit by another lantern hanging on a post nearby. Askeladden shook the door to see if it was locked, then pulled it open and waved Riza inside.

Riza hesitantly crept into the building, his heart fit to burst from the anticipation. It was impossible to see anything within the pitch dark room.

The door creaked softly as Askeladden slowly shut it behind them, and Riza felt like he leapt out of his skin. 

"What're you so jumpy for?" Askeladden asked, shining the lantern on Riza. "It’s just a shed."

"I'm sorry, I'm j-just… nervous. You haven't told me what we're here for."

Askeladden set the lantern on the floor and went deeper into the shed. "Yes I did! I said we're doing a special training regimen!"

"Th-that doesn’t mean anything if you don't explain more details!"

"It’s for our trials," Askeladdene called from behind some boxes.

Riza put his face in his hand. " _ Stooop _ ! You know what I mean!"

After a series of grunts and a loud thud, Askeladden pulled a large wooden keg out from some hidey hole and dragged it into the lit area. When he finally got it in place, he collapsed onto it, catching his breath.

"Okay, so, hear me out," Askeladden started.

"I'm starting to think I shouldn't."

Askeladden lifted himself back up. "No, no, listen. So ya know how you're set to do Manni's trial?"

"Yeah?"

A mischievous grin painted itself on Askeladdens face. "Well, I am too. And it just so happens that I figured out what it is."

Riza sighed. "So you’re cheating."

"Only on this one, as far as you know," he said flatly. "But it's a good thing I am, because I've realized that Bryll and Volf aren't actually training us for it."

Riza stared at Askeladden silently.

"Ya wanna know what it is?"

After a pointed glance at the keg, Riza said "I mean, something to do with drinking, if I had to guess."

Askeladden leaned over the keg again and rested his chin on his hand. "Something like that, yeah. So I've been coming here and practicing drinking."

"Askeladden..." Riza said slowly.

Askeladden smiled.

"...we're 14."

Askeladden rolled his head along with his eyes. "Don't be so  _ booooring _ , Dozens! Any real Fremennik can drink whenever they want, and we're less than a month from becoming one!"

Riza exhaled a soft grumble from his nose. "I know, but…"

Askeladden turned and went back behind the boxes. "But nothing! This's to make sure you pass your trials! You should be grateful I put in the effort!"

_ Can I get back to Inga’s without him throwing a fit? _

Riza shook his head as Askeladden dragged out another keg. "I'm starting to see why you're not allowed in the longhall."

"Well, this one I got for you yesterday."

"This is crazy. How did you even get these!?"

"Cunning and innovation," they both said at the same time.

"Yeah, I figured," Riza mumbled.

Askeladden sat down on the floor and, with a dopey smile, produced a pair of steins for them to drink out of. Despite the many better options available, Riza reluctantly sat down across from him.

"Have ya ever had ale before?" Askeladden asked innocently.

"Um… my mom used it in cooking, but like, pretty rarely. And she had me try it once to show me how bad it tasted."

"It has an acquired flavor to it, that’s for sure," Askeladden admitted as he poured Riza his first glass.

The ale was the color of dry honey, and the foamy head fizzed and popped just shy of overflowing. The hoppy smell of booze assailed Riza’s nostrils, a pleasant scent that actualized the fact that he was about to drink an adult beverage.

Riza watched Askeladden fill his own stein. Even after it was full, the head of the beer didn't poke out over the rim.

"How come yours isn't all foamy?" Riza asked worriedly.

Askeladden peered in his drink. "Oh, huh, musta gone flat or something."

_ Oh… is that normal? _

With a shrug, Askeladden looked back at Riza. "So what do you say in the city when you toast?"

"Um… 'cheers', usually."

Askeladden nodded. "Here, we say 'skål'." He lifted his glass, and Riza reluctantly did the same. "You ready?"

"Y-yeah. Uh, on three?"

Askeladden counted. "One… two… three!"

"Skål!" They said as their glasses clinked together.

***

Askeladden finished off another stein of well water with a satisfied sigh. Dozens’ reddened face was plastered with bewilderment and awe as he looked at Askeladden with his dewey hazel eyes. 

“How ya holdin' up, Dozens?” Askeladden asked.

“How do you do that!?" Dozens asked. "I’m only on my… uh–”

“Your second one.”

“Yeah, my secon' one an’ I feel so full.”

“Oh, I’ve been coming here and doing this for a while now,” Askeladden half-lied. “It’s been working, I think, ‘cause I can hold a loooot of beer in me now.”

Dozens leaned back and sighed, his mop of red hair draped downwards. “Gods, you’re so amazing, Askeladden. Everyone here’s so amazing.”

“I know.”

“You’re all so strong, an’ brave.” Dozens continued, staring at the ceiling. “I wish I coul’ be like you guys, but I’m just so weak nest to you.”

Askeladden nodded agreeably.  _...Maybe I made a mistake. I didn’t realize Dozens would be so chatty when he’s drunk. _

“Hey, that’s not entirely true,” Askeladden said. “When I saw 'em carry you into my dad’s hut with that arrow in your butt, I thought to myself ‘there’s a guy I have to keep an eye on’.”

Dozens snorted. “It was my leg, not my butt,” he giggled.

"What even happened, then? You've been here for years and you've never told us."

"Yeahhh… i's a long story, and kinda embarrassing," Dozens said, his eyes drifting away.

"Well, when ya say it like that, then you have to tell me!"

Dozens sat up and shook his head. "No, I don’t wanna talk about it."

"C'mon! I won't tell anyone!" Askeladden promised, rocking playfully.

"Yes you will!"

Askeladden stopped suddenly and furrowed his brow. "Nuh uh! I'm really good at keeping secrets!"

Dozens looked away and crossed his legs, his shoulders peaking as he curled inwards.

"Hey, if you tell me, then I'll owe ya one later. How does that sound?" Askeladden offered.

Riza looked uncomfortable as he brought his hand up to his mouth and silently burped. "You really won't tell?"

Askeladden nodded, and Dozens slowly recounted his tale. When his story reached the part where he arrived in the Seers Village woods, he started to become more choked up, and had to continue with Askeladden’s enraptured prodding.

"And tha’s when… that's when those men a-attacked me."

"The three-eyed men, right?"

"They didn’ have three eyes. One guy jus’ had an eye tattooed on his forehead."

Askeladden leaned back on his hands, staring at the ceiling as he imagined the trials Dozens went through. "Wow…" he breathed.

"Um… but blease don't tell anyone, though."

Askeladden’s head snapped back to face Riza. "Why not? That story's badass!"

"'Cause!" Riza cried, "They’ll think I'm a thief and they'll kick me out've the village again!"

"You're not a thief, that Hingledorf guy's a thief! You just took back what was yours!" Askeladden retorted.

"Um, i's Handelmort."

"Yeah, Hendlemore. I can’t believe you've been sitting on a story like that…"

Dozens rubbed his thumbs together. "I don' like thinking about it, to be honest."

“Did ya get a scar from it?” Askeladden asked.

"From wha'? The arrow?"

Askeladden nodded excitedly. "Yeah!"

“Um, I did, yeah. Here, look, uh…”

Dozens hesitated for a second, then rolled up his pant leg.

“Whoaaah!” Askeladden exclaimed. “It looks like a… uhh… what’s his name… Saradomin. Like his symbol thing.”

“Gods, I hope not,” Dozens said. “You think tha’s why Zamorak’s mad at me?“

"Heh, maybe." Askeladden chuckled.

He looked up at Dozens' face, and a strange emotion seemed to flicker across it for just a moment.

"What?" Askeladden probed.

"Uh, n-nothing."

Askeladdens eyes narrowed. "Mm… that doesn't sound like nothing."

Dozens quickly rolled his pant leg back down. "N-no, really, i's nothing."

"You have too many secrets, Dozens!" Askeladden whined. "Why don’t you trust me?"

The silence spoke volumes between the two of them.

"Okay, fine, fair enough," Askeladden admitted. "How about this; if you answer one of my questions, then I'll answer one of yours."

Dozens fidgeted. "Um, we'll see."

_ Good enough for me! Hmm… let's see… what don’t I know about Dozens that he’d be willing to answer…  _

Dozens drank some more out of his glass and grimaced at the taste. 

"Okay, how about this," Askeladden said. "Is there anyone that you have a crush on?"

Dozens' face immediately sank with panic and turned even redder. 

"Wh-what!? Why do you care!?" Dozens cried before burying his face in his hands.

"C'mon, it's normal to be interested in  _ someone _ ," Askeladden goaded, already thrilled to see him flustered.

Askeladden allowed Dozens some time to collect his composure. Before he continued, Dozens finished off his glass.

"Well… um, I-I have this, um, friend I grew up with back in Ardougne named Kyle. A-and they're, like, y’know, really nice an’ funny and like, y'know…” Dozens waved his arms wildly, “p-pretty. B-but i's like more than that, you know? Because I knew them most of my life and I-I jus'–"

"Dozens," Askeladden interrupted. "Slow down, I get it."

"Uh, right. S-sorry. Um… so, yeah, I think for the longes’ time I had a crush on them. Um… but then, you know, I en’ed up trapped here, so… um…"

Dozens buried his face in his hands again. "Oh gods, why’re you doing this to me!?"

Askeladden handed Dozens his glass refilled. "Go on," he said tonedly.

"... um… so, then I came here. And uh…" Dozens grimaced. "I had a small crush on Irwinsson, after he’d been so nice to me? But... he’s like… 18. He's ol’ enough to be my dad."

"Yeah, that's a little weird, Dozens," Askeladden agreed, queuing his glass for a drink.

Dozens nodded, then looked at Askeladden and frowned. "A-an' also, I-I mean, I dunno, y-you remind me a lot of my other friend from Ardougne, an' sometimes, you know… I dunno…"

Askeladden choked on his water and coughed it out. "Who, me!?"

Dozens lowered his head, yet maintained eye contact. "Y-yeah… I-I mean, I dunno if you'd be int’rested…"

Askeladden smiled sheepishly and waved his hand. "I'm flattered, but, uh, no, I'm not."

Dozens shrugged. "Yeah, I figured. So righ' now I guess I don' have anyone."

Askeladden quickly gulped down some more water.

_ Damn, Dozens has been holding his liquor pretty well, for an amateur. I can’t let my guard down around him! _

"Alright, fair's fair. Do you have a question for me?" Askeladden asked.

"Um… no’ really," Dozens admitted. "Do  _ you _ have a crush on anyone?"

_ How original... _

Askeladden leaned back. "Me? Well… no. Not anybody you know."

"No’ even Heike? You two have a nice thing."

Askeladden shrugged. "Maybe. But I'm not as narrow sighted as you, Dozens."

"So who?"

Askeladden stared at the ceiling. "...I remember I once met this girl with long flaxen hair a long time ago. She seemed to know exactly what to say to make me laugh, and I like someone who can do that."

Dozens gave a surprised "Huh."

"They say that deep beneath Waterbirth Island is a giant dagger-mouth that has a vibrant blue ring in its hoard. See, one thing I remember about that girl was that she said her favorite color was blue. So someday, when I'm older, I'm gonna go down there and get that ring, then I'm going to find that girl and propose to her."

Askeladden met Dozens’ blank stare. "That's the plan, anyway. Who knows what life will hold."

Dozens blinked heavily, his eyes starting to sink from intoxication. "T-tha' was… so mush more hones' and wholesome an answer than I was especting," he slurred out. "Thang you for telling me tha', Askelanen."

Askeladden smiled happily.  _ Uh oh. Maybe a third one was too much. _

***

Some time later, Volf parted the curtain to see who was knocking furiously at his door.

"Volf! Please! You've gotta help me!" Askeladden cried in a panic.

After glancing back to make sure no-one was woken up, Volf put his hand on Askeladden's shoulder and stepped outside the house. "Askeladden, calm down! What's wrong?"

What proceeded was a jumbled mess of words involving Dozens, a shed, and carrying something.

"– please, Volf! You're the only one I can trust!" Askeladden pleaded.

Volf shook his head. "Askeladden, what did you do?"

Askeladden bounced impatiently. "Volf  _ pleeeease! _ I don't want Dozens to get in trouble!"

Reluctantly, Volf followed Askeladden to the shed behind Thorvald's shop. The whole journey Volf's mind went through hundreds of increasingly worrisome possibilities of what Askeladden was about to show him.

When he saw Dozens passed out, drunk, on the floor, Volf was disappointed in Askeladden’s actions, but relieved it was nothing serious.

Volf shook his head again, his eyes cast towards the heavens. "Askeladden…"

"Look, I can explain—"

"What did you do…!?" Volf asked exasperatedly.

"Volf! Now’s not the time!" Askeladden cried, walking over to Dozens. "I need you to help me carry him back to Inga’s! Before someone finds him here!"

With a thunderous sigh of defeat, Volf strode over as well. Askeladden seemed to have already decided that he would carry Dozens' legs, so Volf held their friend under the arms.

"Okay, ready?" Volf asked "1… 2… 3!"

They lifted up Dozens with incredible ease.

"Whoa!" Volf exclaimed. "Askeladden! He's so light! What did you need me for!?"

"I didn't know!" Askeladden whined. "Now be quiet and let's go!"

The two of them quickly and quietly carried Dozens out of the shed, past the shop, and down the road to Inga’s house. From what they could see, Inga wasn't there, so they let themselves in and gently placed Dozens in his bed.

"Great! That went better than I expected," Askeladden said happily, putting his hands on his hips. "I owe you one, Volf!"

Askeladden turned to walk away, but Volf grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back.

"Ow, hey!" Askeladden complained, "What's the matter–"

Volf started dragging Askeladden to the sitting area. "You're not going anywhere," Volf said sternly. "What you  _ are _ going to do is wait here for Inga, and explain to her, and me, why Dozens smells like he just took a bath in the longhall."

With no option of escape, Askeladden dropped into a chair and resigned himself to his fate. When Inga came home a short while later, Askeladden explained the whole situation to everyone present. Inga merely rolled her eyes and shook her head — a better outcome then Askeladden could have ever hoped for. Volf apologized for Askeladden’s actions, but Inga sighed and let them know it was fine, and that she would take care of Dozens from there.

As they left, Volf took a different approach and scolded Askeladden all the way to his house. He made Askeladden promise that, if he was going to keep "training" with Dozens, he would only use plain water for the both of them going forward, to which Askeladden obediently agreed. 

The next morning, when Askeladden went to check on Dozens, Inga had prepared a nice greasy breakfast for the horribly hungover young man. He explained what happened after Riza passed out, including the promise he made to Volf. He was relieved to hear Riza laugh about the whole ordeal.

“But are ya sure you’re doing okay, Dozens?” Askeladden asked honestly.

Dozens smiled, squinting over the bags under his tired eyes. “Yeah, last night was fun.” he croaked dryly. “I'm excited to do it again tonight.”

Askeladden cocked his head and beamed. “Then it’s a date!”

Dozens snorted and smirked coyly. “I thought you said you weren’t interested?”

With an exasperated groan, Askeladden rolled back in his chair and cried “Not that kind of date!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	19. Chapter 19

“Um, so… how small does a boat have to be before it’s no longer a longship?” Riza asked.

There were only two days until the trials, and Askeladden had noticed an ornately carved vessel sailing towards the village. It was small, far too decorated for a military ship, and had an albino fox embroidered upon its sail— the symbol of Miscellanian royalty. Askeladden surmised that the prince and princess were visiting to spectate the trials.

Riza and Heike had just finished up a smithing task for Bryll, who left to attend to another errand, when Askeladden brought them to watch the ship come in. Riza figured they would be shooed away if they took him down to the piers, so instead they sat on the top of a nearby hill.

Askeladden and Heike silently glanced sideways at Riza's query before turning their gazes back to the horizon. 

“Um… sorry, is that a dumb question?” Riza fretted.

Heike shook her head. “No, not really—” 

“Yeah, kind of—” Askeladden said at the same time.

Heike leaned past Riza to glare at Askeladden.

“What!?” Askeladden whined.

“Just because you know it, doesn’t mean everyone else does, Dagger-pants!” Heike scolded. “How is Dozens supposed to know what the difference between a  _ karvi  _ and a boat is?”

"Look, that's not my fault," Askeladden closed his eyes and smiled down his nose. “Dozens only wishes he had my all-encompassing smarts.”

Riza laughed. “It’s true. You’re the pride of the Fremennik, Askeladden.”

Heike shook her head. “That’s why we’re all doomed.”

Askeladden snorted, and they all continued watching the ship’s approach. Down on the docks they saw Brundt, Sigli, and Sasslik walking down the pier in anticipation for its arrival.

Riza rocked a bit on the fence he was sitting on. “Um, so, why the prince and princess? Why not the king or queen?”

Heike and Askeladden silently choked on an answer, and Riza snapped his head towards Askeladden. “You don’t know!?”

“Uh, I-I mean… Uh…” Askeladden stammered.

“Askeladden! Your all-encompassing knowledge only lasted for one question!” Riza teased. “I thought you were the pride of the Fremennik!?”

“ _Stooop!_ You’re not funny!” Askeladden cried. “I don’t know, alright? It’s just always been that way.”

“Have you ever seen them?” Heike asked.

“Who, the prince and princess?” Riza clarified, to which Heike nodded. “Um… yeah. I met Brand two years ago—” 

_ — just before they kicked me out, _ he thought spitefully. _ When they told me to take my problems and never return. _

_ Do you remember that, Heike!? When I begged for my life and they threw me aside!? When I realized I was at the mercy of their whims!?  _

_ When I lost CONTROL of my LIFE!? _

Riza caught himself as this weird cloud of anger roiled in his mind, and he suddenly felt nauseous.

…  _ Oh my gods, Riza, what are you thinking!? That wasn’t Heike’s fault! _

As he composed himself, he swallowed dryly and continued. “— uh… a-and, um, I’ve never met Astrid. I didn’t see her after… that day… and I wasn’t allowed outside Inga’s house during the trials afterwards, so…”

A silence hung in the air, and Riza’s heart sunk with guilt as he worried he made things awkward.

“W-what about you guys?” he asked quickly, “Have you guys ever met them?”

Askeladden and Heike nodded. “Yeah, they’re… nice people,” Heike offered tonedly, “A little full of themselves, but what do you expect with royals, right?”

_ Oh… really?  _ Riza thought, harkening back to Brand’s gift to him.  _ I didn’t notice that at the time. _

“My dad always told me that the islanders trust too easily,” Heike continued. “That they have the luxury of being away from the problems of the mainland.”

_ 'Problems of the mainland', huh…  _

Riza stared out at sea. “Yet you guys trusted me for some reason…” he mumbled absentmindedly.

Heike glanced at Riza before registering what he said and turning fully. “... what?”

“Huh?” Riza grunted. “Oh, nothing, sorry! I was just…” Riza’s voice trailed off as he saw Heike’s glare. “P-please don’t stare at me like that!”

“Dozens…” Heike said slowly, her eyebrows raising underneath her helm.

Riza turned away. “ _ Stooop,  _ it’s nothing!”

Heike leaned into Riza’s periphery. “That doesn’t sound like nothing.” Heike said mock-concernedly, “Do we have to talk about this?”

Askeladden shook his head. “Dozens and his secrets! Maybe you're right – maybe we shouldn’t trust you!”

After a few minutes of attempting to avoid the conversation, Riza’s hand was snatched by Heike and she cupped hers tightly around it. Stunned by the rare feeling of human contact, Riza felt the warmth radiating from her glove and traveling to his cheeks.

“Alright, Dozens, then I’m going to hold onto your hand forever until you tell me!” Heike declared, intercepting his exasperated gaze despite his best efforts. “And when you go home tonight and Inga asks ‘why’ then you have to tell her ‘it’s because I don’t think my friends trust me so I won’t tell them what’s wrong’. And I’ll go hungry because I can’t use my hands to eat! Even after I die I’ll still be holding on waiting for you to tell me!”

Riza stared guiltily at Heike before trying to wrest his hand free. Unfortunately he was nowhere near as strong as his friend, so his attempts proved fruitless.

“Heike, lemme go!” Riza half-laughed, half-pleaded. “I didn’t mean anything by it!”

“NO! Tell me what you meant!”

After flailing about some more, Riza met Heike and Askeladden’s expectant gazes and frowned. “Alright, fine.” he sighed. “I— I mean… Um… Gods, how do I put this…”

Heike squeezed Riza’s hand. “Go on.”

“Um, sometimes I— I wonder why you guys let someone like me hang around with you.” Riza felt his chest slowly tighten, and he slumped his shoulders down. “I dunno, it’s just… after all that’s happened, I don’t know if I… If I’ve earned the right to be your… friend, y'know?”

Riza looked at Heike, who stared back at him silently before her face furrowed in confusion. “What!? What are you saying!?”

Riza felt Askeladden’s hand land on his own, and Riza turned to him. Askeladden’s face was close, and was more serious than Riza had ever seen it before. “Dozens, you—” 

“Outlander!” called a scolding voice behind them.

They turned to see Sasslik, who had come up from the piers and was staring down her nose at Riza with her hands on her hips.

“What are you doing here, frolicking around with our youths, distracting them when they should be studying for their trials?” Sasslik accused. “You outlanders have all the time in the world to play, but for us real Fremennik the trials are only in two days!”

Riza’s heart sank into the depths, and deep fear started crawling up in its place. Intimidated by Sasslik’s glare, Riza lowered his gaze in deference.

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you, outlander!”

Riza’s eyes shot up obediently, quickly snatching his hand back from Heike’s grip.

Sasslik shook her head. “No manners on this one,” she said as she looked at Heike and Askeladden. “Where are Bryll and Volf? Shouldn’t they be teaching you two right now?”

“They got called to help with the monsters outside of town, so they said we could watch the boat come in, in the meantime,” Askeladden piped up happily, half-lying through his teeth. “Ya shoulda seen it, Sasslik! Heike made a set of knives earlier that kicked the pants off of the outlander’s!”

Sasslik nodded agreeably. “Good, at least something is coming out of this pointless exercise,” she sneered, “You be sure to show the outlander how the Fremennik get things done.”

Heike glared at Sasslik in response. 

“Oh, we will, ma’am!” Askeladden interjected, smiling proudly and pointing to his chest. “Leave it to us! We could take 1000 days off and we’d still run circles around him!”

A smirk flashed across Sasslik’s face for a moment before her serious expression returned, and she pointed at Riza with a scolding finger. “You be sure not to embarrass us in front of the Miscellanians, you hear?” she commanded, before she turned and left without waiting for a response.

When Sasslik got enough of a distance away, Heike spun quickly and faced Askeladden. “Dagger-pants!” she growled.

“ _ Whaaat!? _ ” Askeladden whined.

“How could you say all that!?”

Askeladden raised his hands. “Hey, I didn’t mean none of it! I was just tryin’ to get her off our backs!”

“You didn’t have to say all those things about Dozens, though!”

“He knew I was kidding! Right, Dozens?”

Askeladden and Heike both turned towards Riza and saw his downward cast face, the lip he was biting, and the pair of small rivers flowing down his cheeks. Their faces dropped and they panickedly flanked him. Heike took his hand once again.

“Dozens!” Heike exclaimed, her voice fraught with worry, “Don’t be sad! You shouldn’t listen to what Sasslik says!”

Riza trembled, trying his best to keep from continuing to cry in front of his friends. He unbit his lip, opting to clench his teeth instead, and shut his eyes tight.

With a deep breath, he stood up suddenly, “I-I'm sorry,” he croaked weakly. “I-I sh-I should go—“

Riza started to walk away, but he was unable to shake Heike’s firm grip on his hand, and he was pulled back onto the fence.

“Dozens, please,” Heike pleaded softly, “I don’t want you to keep running away from us.”

“B-but she’s right,” Riza sniffled. “A-and Askeladden’s right too. I’ll never be good enough, I’m just distracting you guys—”

“I-I didn’t mean it, Dozens,” Askeladden said quietly to the ground.

“J-just because you didn’t mean it doesn’t make it not true,” Riza said, before wiping the tears out of his eyes with his free hand. “Gods, and now I’m crying for no reason and it’s just… embarrassing.”

Heike pouted for a moment, then leaned in and gave Riza a light, squeezing hug. “Shh… C’mon, now,” she said softly, “it’s not embarrassing. In fact, it’s one of the things I like about you.”

Riza’s eyes narrowed. “T-that I cry…?”

Heike squeezed Riza tighter, “No, you dope! That you care!”

Askeladden nodded. “Yeah! It’s like… even if nobody else cares, at least I know that Dozens will!”

Heike released Riza from her hug. “So don’t you ever feel bad for feeling sad or crying in front of us,” she commanded. “And don’t  _ ever _ say you don’t deserve to be our friend, because you don’t get to make that choice!”

Riza smiled sadly at Heike.  _ Well, it's not the first time that things aren't my choice around here. _

Riza turned to Askeladden, who gave him a reluctant, yet warm hug as well.

“Don’t tell anyone I hugged you,” Askladden said sarcastically as he pulled away. “I've a reputation to uphold.”

Riza sniffled one last time. “You are the pride of the Fremennik, after all.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Askeladden said, “Now pull yourself together, ya big baby, the ship’s about to come in.”

***

“There’s no crew on that boat,” Sigli noted as the ship came to a steady halt.

Brundt let out a grunt. “The prince must have finally gotten his wish.”

As Brundt said that, a young woman hopped off the boat before it stopped completely. She wore a practical green outfit underneath a hard-leather hunting vest, and she gripped the bowstring of a grey, rib-like bow that was slung over her shoulder.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” Brundt cried over the waves. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your early arrival?”

Astrid brushed one of her ribbon-tied braids behind her head, and the wooden baubles on their tips clattered together in the ocean breeze. She stuck her nose in the air and strolled down the pier, her eyes rolling sideways as she passed the chief.

Brundt’s gaze lowered, and his fur cloak shuddered as he chuckled.

She stopped suddenly, keeping her back to the others. “Is the hunting lodge still standing?” she called.

“Aye, it is, Your Highness,” Sigli responded.

With that, Astrid continued her stride, and Sasslik shook her head disapprovingly.

“Ah, Chief Brundt,” called the young man who stepped off the boat next. “It’s always a pleasure.”

For the first few moments, from atop the hill, Riza didn’t recognize Brand, as the boyish locks he had two years ago were trimmed down considerably. His slender form stood out from the rest of the Fremennik who greeted him, and his vibrant red tunic and striped blue vest contrasted the dull grey horizon and the earthy tones of the Rellekkan outfits.

Brand put his fingers to his chest and bowed his head to the chief, his other hand nestling a lyre with golden strings underneath his arm. “Forgive us for our early arrival,” he said. “You see, my sister heard tell of the monsters in your woods, and wished to test her mettle in hunting them.”

"Her help is welcome," Brundt grumbled, "Will you be joining her?"

Closing his eyes and holding a hum of thought, Brand tilted his head. “Perhaps. If only for a while, as I fear I would only be in her way."

Brundt gestured for Brand to walk alongside him, and all four of the Fremennik started down the pier.

“It appears she’s still angry with me,” Brundt continued. “Like father, like daughter, it seems.”

“Ahh, ‘hers is an anger like wheat/mild, vast, and perennial,” Brand said with his hand held up theatrically. “Something like that?”

Brundt merely grunted.

“Give it time, my fair chief,” Brand said. “Perhaps someday your condition of angering my kin will subside, like a seasonal flu.”

Brundt’s beard lifted with a smile. “That reminds me, how is your father?”

Brand glanced up at the chief. “Not ‘how are you’, Chief Brundt?”

“You seem to be in high spirits, which is why I didn’t ask.”

Brand’s face lit up. “I am, actually, how kind of you to notice!” he said cheerily. “You see, my father finally gave me his blessing and I was allowed to sail sans crew! My sister didn’t have to lift a finger the entire journey, aside from a quick stop so she could have a jaunt at harpooning—” 

“Impressive, Your Highness,” Brundt interrupted. “And your father?”

Brand glanced sideways at the chief, then smiled bemusedly, “Hm, yes, well, my father is as he ever was — frustrated, stir-crazy, and trapped, like a rabbit in a box.”

Brundt shook his head. “A shame. We’ve not had many herbalists stop by the village, even before the southern bridge was destroyed by pyrefiends.”

Brand had no response to that, instead his gaze wandered to the top of the hill, spotting Riza and company sitting on a fence. “I didn’t realize there was going to be an audience,” he mused. “Are those your youths who will be taking their trials this year?”

“Mm,” Brundt grunted. “Some of them at least. There are another five as well.”

Brand waved at the trio, who waved back excitedly. “My, how busy.” 

“You see that one, in the center?” Brundt asked, nodding his head towards them.

Squinting, Brand looked closer and made out Riza's red hair and dark complexion, then stopped in his tracks and stared in silence.

Brundt opened his mouth to explain but Brand cut him off. “Oh, that’s Riza, right? The outlander you took in two years ago?”

“Yes, though his friends call him Dozens for reasons that escape me.”

Brand looked at Brundt, then looked back at Riza. “Is this how you apologize to him for throwing him out of your village?” he asked sardonically. “By offering to make him a Fremennik?”

“Not quite, he is merely taking our trials as a favour to me,” Brundt explained. “To be a rival to our youths, to make them strive to be better.”

“Besides, we would never let an outsider, especially one like  _ him _ become a Fremennik,” Sasslik added, her voice dripping with contempt.

“And why not?” Brand asked, turning to face Sasslik, “It’s not unheard of. What of Djanlor Moonwalker? He was an outlander, and V’s trusted confidant.”

“Hmm…” Brundt grumbled. “It has been a long time since a Moon Clan ballad like that was heard in this village.”

“Hah! Your only example is a godless Moon Clan wizard!?” Sasslik scoffed. “Though, better still than a filthy Zamorakian!”

Brand looked at Brundt with confusion, who sighed before explaining. “There are some in the village who are suspicious of the outlander’s faith.”

“How odd,” Brand said dully. “I hadn’t realized things had gotten so… needlessly dramatic around here.”

"With all due respect, Your Highness–" Sasslik began.

Brand held his hand up and looked away. "None taken, thank you." He put his hand on his chest and bowed again to Brundt. "Forgive me, Chief Brundt, but I wish to take my leave to peruse your marketplace in private."

Brundt scoffed, a corner of his beard raising with a smirk. "Alright, Your Highness. If you see your sister, tell her I wish to speak with her in the longhall."

Brand smiled. "Very well," he said, as he made his way down the pier.

From atop the hill, Riza, Heike, and Askeladden watched as Brundt, Sigli, and Sasslik watched Brand leave.

"Sasslik’s shaking her head," Askeladden noted. "That's no good. What'd ya think she’s saying?"

"No manners from that one!" Heike said in a squawking voice, which made Riza spit out a laugh.

"So that's Brand and Astrid now," Riza noted. "They seem so… different."

"I mean, yeah, you haven't seen them for two years," Heike noted, standing up.

"No, no, that's not what I mean," Riza started. "They're like… different from you guys. I haven’t met anyone who wasn't a Rellekkan in years, y’know? Besides like, Volf’s mom."

"Hey, that's true, isn't it?" Askeladden said. "Maybe after we pass our trials we can all go sailing. Then you can see what it's like outta the village."

"Y-yeah," Riza nodded. "I'd like to do that, someday."

Even though, deep down, Riza was convinced that he wouldn't become a real Fremennik after the trials, the idea of leaving the village with his friends brought a small smile to his face.

He couldn't picture him leaving with anybody else.

***

When Bryll and Volf returned to the group, they were pleasantly surprised to find Riza, Heike, and Askeladden facilitating their own weapons practice in the clearing. 

Despite the diligence, everyone agreed that they were ready to eat.

Riza prepared some egg salad sandwiches for everyone, deciding to test out another new herb blend. The fluffy, savory eggs mixed with the spicy, sour sauce paired well with the fresh, crispy vegetables he stacked them with, and, as was usually the case, all of his friends loved it. Riza, who was only mildly impressed by the flavor, made a mental note to look into spices from Feldip to the far south for the next time he made this.

"You know," Bryll said, nudging Volf and gesturing to the campfire. "That ring-frame-thing you found has been worth its weight in gold."

"Right!?" Volf cried, "I knew it the moment I saw it in my scrap pile." He nodded towards Riza. "Though I guess it helps we have our own personal chef to make use of it."

Riza smiled nervously. "Um, it was nice of you to think of me. It's been really helpful."

They ate in silence for a while before Volf piped up. “Hey, Dozens, can I make a suggestion for the trials?”

Riza’s heart and face sank. “Uh, yeah, of course.”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad,” Volf laughed. “It’s just that you might want to get a haircut before the trials, or at least wear a headband to keep your hair out of your face.”

Riza put his hands up to his head and grimaced. “Um… I don’t have a headband…”

“Oh, Dozens…” Bryll sighed. “We can get you one.”

“N-no, you don’t have to, I-I’ll figure something out,” Riza stammered.

“Askeladden, you could probably do with some armor.” Volf added. “A helmet, at the very least.”

“Way ahead of ya, bud!” Askeladden said. “I’ve got something at home I’ve been saving for the trials.”

“Is it those dagger-mouth underpants?” Heike teased.

Riza laughed.  _ On his head!? _

“ _ NO! _ ” Askeladden cried. “Well, I mean it involves dagger-mouth, but it’s not something so  _ juvenile, Heike!” _

Bryll put her hands on her lap and looked upon her three students with a sad smile. "How are you guys feeling about your trials, by the way?" she asked. "Are any of you nervous?"

“Nope!” proclaimed Askeladden.

“Not really,” said Heike.

“A little,” admitted Riza.

“Oh gods…” Riza cursed as everyone turned to him.

“That’s about what I expected,” Bryll said “All three of you are beyond ready. If anything, I can only hope that what Volf and I taught you would have been helpful in the long run.”

“Of course it was, Bryll!” Askeladden cried. “I think you taught us some pretty valuable stuff, even if it doesn’t come up in the trials.”

Everyone turned to stare at Askeladden.

_ “What!?” _

“That was really sweet of you to say,” Volf said, narrowing his eyes. “What’s your game?”

“I— wh— you— “ Askeladden stammered to the giggles of his friends. “That’s… okay, that’s not—” 

Askeladden suddenly broke off, staring behind Bryll and Volf. Everyone else turned and saw— 

“Greetings!” Brand said, bowing to the group. “Do you mind if I join you for a while?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to (Golden Gnome Nominee) Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


	20. Chapter 20

Riza had forgotten this feeling.

Having been among the Rellekkans for two years, Riza always knew what to expect when people outside his small group of friends interacted with him. He entered every conversation — that is, if he was even wanted in said conversation — knowing he would be othered with a level of distrust or disdain. 

But what was this like? Like meeting an old friend? Riza and Brand had only met once a long time ago, so it was hard for Riza to even consider them friends. He was just a stranger who didn’t immediately dislike Riza upon meeting him. 

Knowing he would end up staring uncomfortably, Riza averted his gaze from the prince.

“Do you mind if I join you for a while?”

“Um, yeah, of course, Your Highness,” Bryll choked out in a higher, more deferential voice then usual.

Brand smiled and sat down, seemingly ignoring the awkward, stunned silence of the gathered teens. He set his lyre on the ground, leaning it against the log he was sitting on, and Riza could see the red bead and feather charm looped to the bottom of it. 

Bryll adjusted her posture, fidgeting with her hands. “Um, uh… I don’t know if you remember me, but—”

"You're Bryll,” Brand interrupted. “You passed your trials two years ago." 

“Y-yeah. I-I’m surprised— I mean, I’m honoured, Your Highness!” Bryll stammered.

Brand pointed at Riza. "And, of course, you’re Riza. You were in the market with Irwinnson that same year,” he said. “The events of your day-long exile have been quite the point of contention between Rellekka and my kingdom.”

Riza kept his head bowed, looking up with his eyes. “Ahah, sorry about that…” he said, smiling awkwardly and rubbing the back of his neck. “Um… It’s nice to, uh, meet you… again.”

Brand chuckled under his breath, then looked around the group. “The rest of you though, I’m at a bit of a loss. Could I trouble you three for your names?"

Volf waved. “Uh, I’m Volf. I passed my trials last winter, and obviously you weren’t here then, so…”

Brand nodded. “That makes sense.”

Volf then gestured to the other two. “This is Heike, and the shrimpy one’s Askeladden. Though if everything goes well, then by next week you’ll know them as something different.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Brand said before he put his hand on his chest. “Ah, where are my manners. I’m Brand—”

“Yeah, we know, Your Princiness,” Askeladden interjected. “But what brings ya our way? Aren’t you usually holed up in the longhall?”

Brand smiled. “Typically, yes, however the longhall is often packed with elders whose interests very much misalign with my own,” he said carefully. “And, as I rarely get to visit Rellekka prior to trial season, I figured I might as well enjoy my time in the company of peers my own age.”

_ Oh gods, him and Malone would get along well, _ Riza thought

“Well, um, I’m glad you could join us!” Bryll said, putting her hands together. “Unfortunately we just finished eating, so I don’t think we have anything to offer you.”

“Oh, how quaint, an outdoor cookout,” Brand said, turning to Riza. “What is it that outlanders have? A ‘picnic’?”

Riza glanced down at his serving, which had an untouched half of a sandwich. “Um, kind of,” he said quickly, picking his plate up and offering it. “If you’d like, Your Highness, you could have the rest of mine.”

Brand stared at the plate. “Oh, uh—” 

“Dozens, you only ate one of your sandwiches?” Volf noted with a furrowed brow. “You need to eat more than that!”

Brand put his hands up and smiled. “Oh, then, no thank you. I don’t want to impose, especially if you’re still hungry.”

“Oh, no, I’m fine,” Riza said. “Inga said she’s making me a big dinner tonight, so…”

Riza and Brand stared at each other for a moment, and Riza’s arm started to ache from holding up the dish.

“You really should try it, Your Highness!” Heike added. “Dozens’ cooking is the best!”

“Oh?” Brand said, looking at the sandwich again, “Well, with such high praise, how could I refuse?”

Riza smiled as Brand took the plate. “Uh… consider it payment for when you gave me that paper,” he said. “I-I told you I was going to pay you back for it someday.”

“Hah! The long con, I see!” Brand said. “I guess you did say that, didn’t you?”

His heart aflutter with anticipation, Riza silently watched Brand as he prepared to try the sandwich.

Brand brought it up to his mouth— 

— but before he took a bite, he asked “Whatever became of your letter, by the way?” 

Riza sighed sadly.  _ Dammit, I was hoping he wouldn’t mention that. _

“Um… well, I tried to write to my parents, but— 

“Oh, my gods!” Brand exclaimed, with his hand in front of his mouth. “I didn’t know what I was expecting, Riza, but this is  _ really _ good!”

Bryll squealed, putting her hands to her cheeks. “Ahh! Dozens, the royal chef!”

_ “Making meals for the king of Ardougne!” Mieke cheered distantly in his mind. _

Riza was suddenly taken aback and his eyes glossed over.  _ Whoa… that hasn’t happened in a while... _

His thoughts started filling with blurry images of his parents, and of Ardougne, and a cocktail of anger, spite, and fear started welling up inside him again.

“Riza, tell me, this sandwich — did you put harralander and dill in it?” Brand asked.

Riza gasped softly as the question seemingly yanked him from diving into the depths of his brooding. “Y-yeah!” he exclaimed. “Wh-what d’you think? I-I was trying something new with it!”

“It pairs together wonderfully with the mustard seed, actually,” Brand said, “You know what would be good to add to it is uh… there’s this fruit from Feldip called the, uh… the chili pepper, and they use it to make a spice called—” 

Riza pointed and nodded furiously “Paprika! Yeah I was thinking the exact same thing!”

“Hah! Great minds, as they say.”

“W-what do you think of the tarromin and the onion, though? I was worried that the bitterness would be too much with the onion.”

“I mean, you only added a dash to it, had you added more it may have been overpowering, but… Oh, have you considered adding something pickled?”

“I did, but I thought it might be too sour for what I was trying to do.”

Thoroughly cast out of the conversation, and shocked to see their silent friend in such a state, Volf, Heike, Askeladden, and Bryll could only watch in silence as Brand and Riza discussed the intricacies of seasoning.

“Actually, you know what? The gnomes from the stronghold to the far west also grow chili peppers,” Brand noted. “I could ask around to see if they could trade some with Miscellania or Rellekka.”

Riza’s eyes widened in sudden panic. “A-ah, I-I mean, uh, th-that’d be nice, but you don’t have to…”

“Oh, please, Riza. An inquiry like that doesn’t cost anyone anything!”

“Hold on, hold on! Can we talk about this for a second?” Heike cried as she turned to face Riza. “Two days before the trials begin, when it’s not going to matter anymore, and we  _ finally  _ get to learn your real name?”

With that, Riza’s energy was instantly overtaken with sadness and he cast his eyes towards the ground.

Brand crossed his hands over his knee. “Ah, yes, that’s right. You go under a pseudonym now,” he said. “Dozer? No, Dozens, was it?”

“Yeah, Dozens,” Bryll said. “That’s what Askeladden said, at least, when he introduced him to us.”

“I mean, I knew what his real name was,” Askeladden mumbled.

“Is there a story behind that?” Brand asked. “Dozens like… twelve? Something to do with eggs?”

Riza sighed softly.

“It's what he said to me when I first met him,” Askeladden explained. “I found him cowering behind Thorvald’s shop, I think he was running from Armod’s gang or summit.”

“Armod?” Brand interjected. “The Chief’s son?”

Bryll and Volf nodded as Askeladden continued. “And I asked him if he wanted to play with Heike an' me, and I asked him what his name was and he said it ‘doesn’t matter.’”

Brand laughed with his hand up to his mouth. “Oh my gods!” he cried. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh. That’s just so tragic, Riza!” 

Riza glared at the ground harder.

“Then when I asked for his name and he wouldn’t tell me, Dagger-pants told me to just call him Dozens,” Heike added. “And eventually I just stopped asking.”

“Dagger-pants?” Brand asked, intrigued.

“D-don’t mind that,” Askeladden said quickly.

Volf turned to Riza. “So, uh, do you want us to call you Riza, or…?” he asked.

“I-I don’t care,” Riza said heavily. He breathed in, to say something else, but backed down. “I… I don’t want to talk about this anymore, i-if that’s alright…”

Riza could feel the awkward silence he left behind weighing upon his body, and he closed his eyes in frustration.

“So, um…” Heike started, “you play the lyre, Your Highness?”

Brand’s face lit up. “Why, yes I do!” he said, picking up his instrument and strumming a chord. “I learned all the standard ballads before I even passed my trials, though I haven’t had the opportunity to use any.”

“Um, you can do magic with your songs, right?” Riza asked, grateful that the conversation moved on. “A while back Bryll told me that Fremennik bards can teleport people home.”

“That’s one of the many uses of a battleskáld, yes, though I would be hesitant to call it magic,” Brand said simply. “Would you be interested in hearing that particular song?”

“Oh, uh, uh… uh…” Riza stammered, his cheeks flushing in the spotlight. “I-I mean, sure, yeah, i-if you… want?”

“You’ve never heard Bring Me Home?” Bryll asked Riza. “Oh, well, I guess that makes sense.”

Everyone turned their attention to Brand. He looked up at the sky and sighed, then closed his eyes and raised his lyre, strumming a few bars as an intro. Riza was surprised to hear that the lyre sounded much more delicate than the lute, a sharp contrast to his mental image of the Fremennik.

_ Sails… catch…. 'pon winter winds _

_ Long… ship… please bring me home _

_ Rest… and… my fam'ly seek _

_ Make… haste… and please… bring me home _

The song itself was slow, if not simple in its intent. The melancholy of the words was only accentuated by Brand’s quivering, yet otherwise average-sounding singing voice. He seemed to favor strumming arpeggios for accenting as opposed to crisp, singular plucks.

_ Please… bring me home _

_ Please… bring me home _

_ I… long to rest _

_ Please… bring me home _

Brand opened his eyes, and lowered his lyre, and the small audience clapped at the performance.

Riza glanced around. “So… Why didn’t that teleport us anywhere?” he asked.

“He wasn’t channeling the spirits,” Volf explained. “Our ancestors are the ones who give power to our ballads, and our skálds honor them in song.”

Riza nodded. “Huh.” 

_ That just sounds like magic, though. _

_ … actually, that sounds like what the Dhrampir do, except with ancestors instead of Zamorak… Huh… _

“That was nice, though,” Riza said. “Thank you for playing that for us.”

Brand continued to strum a few notes. “Ahh, a captive audience with grateful words. ‘Your praise is like a bag of rocks/Heavy, and full of untold riches.’”

_ … a bag of rocks? _

“I think I have another song in me, does anyone have any requests?” Brand probed.

Riza and his friends enjoyed Brand’s mini concert— some of the Fremennik even sang along with the prince during the chorus of the ballads. At one point Brand challenged Riza to request an outlander song, and Riza chose one he often heard around Ardougne market called ‘Baroque.’ To Riza's surprise, Brand played it in full, though he fumbled the first few bars.

As Brand played the final few notes, everyone else applauded and cheered for the performance, before turning to see Riza’s reaction. 

They were surprised to see him staring blankly ahead, with a distant gaze.

“So tell me, Riza,” Brand said, opening his eyes and lowering his lyre. “Why did you stay here in Rellekka? You seemed so eager to write to your parents two years ago.”

Before he had a chance to say anything, Riza felt Heike’s hand land on his leg. “He’s afraid of the forest, Your Highness,” she explained. “After what happened with the three-eyed men.”

The roots of guilt in Riza’s chest began to squeeze.

“Oh, I see,” Brand said. “There are plenty of other ways to leave, though. Why not sail somewhere with less trees?”

Bryll shook her head. “The elders forbade him from going on our boats.”

“Okay, what about Keldagrim? The dwarves might have a way—”

“Nope,” Volf interrupted. “They collapsed their tunnel when the monsters started going crazy.”

_ Where’s Keldagrim…? _

Brand put his fist up to his chin. “Ooh, this is like a riddle!” he said giddily. ”Okay, what if he was put on a cart with some tarp over him so he didn’t see where he was going?”

“Only a little dehumanizing,” Bryll said, “and also wouldn’t work because the bridge out of town is broken. We’ve been cut off from the outlands for over a year”

“ _ Skreyja _ , this is hard,” Brand cursed. “That also rules out finding a wizard, then.”

“The last thing the elders would want is a wizard coming into town,” Volf said.

“Well, I’m going to keep thinking about this,” Brand announced. “Surely there must be a viable solution.”

_ I really wish you wouldn’t... _

Bryll looked up at the sun, then nudged Volf. “Hey, I think it’s about time we head back,” she said.

Volf picked up his spear. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he sighed, turning to face his students. “It looks like Bryll and I will have our hands full until the trials, so we won't be able to train you guys anymore.”

Heike, Askeladden, and Riza collectively deflated.

“I’m sorry, you guys,” Bryll said sadly. “But you were training so well by yourselves earlier! As long as you keep that up, you should be fine!”

“Well, tomorrow I’ve gotta help my dad forage for some herbs and stuff,” Askeladden said “so I think this’ll be my last day of training.”

“And the stuff I’m doing tomorrow’ll be in the forest…” Heike admitted. “So Dozens and I won’t be able to train together!”

“Um… I think it’ll be fine,” Riza said. “Maybe having some time to myself to train will be good for me. I might go up to the hunting area or something.”

Askeladden put his hands on his hips. “You sure ya wanna be alone?” he asked. “It’s  _ THE _ day before the trials, and I wouldn’t want Armod and them to do something to ya.”

Volf crossed his arms and looked away with a sigh. “Yeah… I hate to admit it, but you’re right about that.”

“Are they really so dangerous?” Brand asked.

Everyone responded with wide-eyed nods.

“Then perhaps I could escort him to the hunter area?” Brand offered. “I’m sure the chief’s son wouldn’t be so boorish as to start a brawl in front of me.”

Riza groaned quietly as his face sunk. “Um… you don’t have to do that, Your Highness. I wouldn’t want you to waste your day hanging around me.”

“Now, now, it’s no bother for me,” Brand said with a wave of his hand. “Truly, it would be more interesting than anything I had planned for tomorrow.”

“N-no, it’s fine," Riza insisted. "I can, uh, I can handle whatever Armod’s gang can do me.”

“It’s not about that, Dozens,” Askeladden frowned. “What if they do something to you that makes it so ya can’t show up for the trials? Or something worse…?”

Riza rubbed his thumbs together. “I’ll be fine…”

“I’m going with you and that’s final!” Brand announced. “Where are you staying so I know where I can pick you up?”

Brand waited patiently as Riza glanced away in defiant silence.

“He lives at Inga’s house, Your Highness,” Heike explained.

Riza’s eyes rolled across the heavens.  _ Gods, why is this happening!? _

“Alright! It’s settled, then. 9 a.m. tomorrow at Inga’s house!” Brand said, clapping his hands together. “With that, I must take my leave as well, as I must get the affairs — that I was putting off until tomorrow — done today.”

With a bow and a series of waves from everyone, Brand, Volf, and Bryll all went off to their duties, leaving Heike, Askeladden, and Riza to resume training.

“So what’d you think, Dozens?” Heike asked, picking up her axe.

“Of Brand?” 

“Mhm!”

“Um… You were right about one thing,” Riza said. “He’s… kinda full of himself, but sometimes it’s nice to be around people like that. You can just let them talk and you don’t have to.”

Heike nodded slowly. “That… makes a lot of sense, coming from you.” She gestured towards Askeladden. “Is that what happens with Dagger-pants?”

“Hey!” Askeladden whined. “I’m not full of myself!”

“Yeah you are!” Heike retorted, waving her axe at him. “If I cut you open right now a bunch of teeny-tiny Askeladdens would pour out like a sack of grain!”

While Askeladden and Heike bickered in the background, Riza turned to face the direction that Brand departed, watching the empty horizon.

_ So tomorrow I have a date with the prince, huh? _

His mouth twisted in thought.  _ I hope he wasn’t serious about coming up with more ways to get me through the… forest… Maybe I should… talk to him about that. _

_ Oh, gods, but wait, he’s a prince! Can I even talk to him like that? He seems nice enough, though so maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try? _

_ Gods, I hope this doesn’t turn into a thing…  _


	21. Chapter 21

Far beyond the safety of the wooden walls of the village, hidden under the cool blanket of fog, a creature’s head slowly rose and loomed over the brush. It surveyed the land with empty, pallid eyes, akin to those of the undead, and breathed in the humid air with its gaping, dagger-lined mouth. Like a whale who breached for air, the fish-like creature slowly dove back into the bushes, waiting for prey to draw near.

Dancing above the creature was a light that pierced through the fog, bobbing like a lost waif with a lantern. It was a tactic the aquanites developed from years of being one of the greatest oceanic predators. To a simpler creature it was merely a curiosity, something to be mesmerized by.

But what the aquanite didn’t know was that it wasn't being observed by a simpler creature.

Leaves rustled, and the aquanite surfaced again, waving its fins in the air as it inhaled a ghastly breath. It could feel something on the wind approaching, and it slowly turned its head to look.

No, it wasn’t something on the wind. Whatever it was, it _WAS_ the wind, and it was approaching faster and faster— 

Red blood splattered the bushes as an invisible arrow pierced through the aquanite’s head, and it let out a deathly wail. The rest of its shiver — twenty in all – slowly rose from the bushes and surveyed the scene. Their fins quivered in defiance as they bared their razor-sharp teeth and a sickly, magical glow began to form in their gaping maws.

Far enough away to avoid their gaze, Princess Astrid tightly gripped her bow in anticipation. When she saw the magical glow ignite, she stood up, drawing her bowstring taught. 

A chilling gust of wind _wooshed_ in from the north and coalesced in a whimsical swirl to form an arrow at her fingertips. Pulling the string tighter, the wind shifted and the tip of the arrow changed shape.

With that, the arrow was set free. It flew straight towards its target, drilling a hole through the fog, and pierced the first aquanite again. This time, though, the arrow broke in two; and each new projectile launched themselves into another pair of beasts.

Astrid smiled triumphantly — though the victory was short lived. The ethereal glow within the mouths of the aquanites grew brighter, and she ducked back into the bushes just in time to avoid the volley of magical blasts in her direction.

The creatures began galloping in the direction of Astrid’s attacks, charging up more magic in their mouths.

They didn’t know that Astrid had already moved out of the bush, nor had they any idea what was waiting in her place.

As the aquanites approached, a massive figure sprung from the shrubbery and leaped high in the air, fists at the ready. The aquanites came to a stop, looking up just in time to see the man crushing two of their shiver with his mighty punches as he landed with a _thoom!_

While the remaining beasts attempted to pounce and devour Thok, a pair of war cries came from behind, and the creatures’ vanguard was taken down by the combined efforts of Bryll and Marmaros’s blades. Their zweihanders kicked up dust and sprayed blood, obscuring the battle even further in the dense fog. 

From behind the champions ran Volf, Arvald, and Sveta, who charged deep into the fray. Volf skewered one of the beasts latched onto Thok, and swung hard, launching the beast into the air, where an invisible arrow from the trees pierced it at the zenith of its ascent.

Volf ducked as Thok’s mighty arm swung a powerful uppercut at another aquanite, _thwacking_ it into the air, only to be summarily picked off by Astrid as well.

Fearing he would be crushed underfoot, Volf backed up, only to trip and fall as a third one pounced at him. The beast landed and turned, its mouth dripping and humming with magic as it prepared to launch a blast at him.

Just before it could fire, Sveta slid in front of Volf, her shield raised up high.

_Crack!_

The blast hit true, knocking the two of them backwards with a shower of splinters.

The aquanite galloped after them, charging another attack, until Bryll’s zweihander cleaved right into its head. Bryll then put her foot against its neck, gritted her teeth, and wrested her blade free.

She turned to quickly check on Volf and Sveta, and her eyes honed in on Sveta’s charred, blackened arm underneath her broken shield. Bryll spun and sliced away another approaching aquanite before running up to her.

“Sveta!” Bryll cried.

“Leave me, Bryll!” Sveta growled while standing up, her words dripping with rage through her locked jaw. “While my other arm still holds an axe, I can still fight!”

Bryll watched solemnly as Sveta gave another battle cry and ran past her, before offering a hand to help Volf up. “You good?” she asked.

Volf breathed in heavily through his nose, then nodded slightly. His eyes drifted to the side to survey the battle— 

“Bryll! Get down!” Volf yelled, as he knocked Bryll out of the way of yet another pouncing aquanite.

Volf was pinned down again, and he grappled the monster’s jaw, his hands gripping tightly on its fleshy lips.

As he struggled to keep the beast’s mouth away, he saw a faint blue light beginning to form in the back of its throat, and his eyes slowly grew in fear.

Suddenly the head of the aquanite jolted and the light faded away as a spray of blood splattered against Volf. Bryll kicked the beast off of him, and he could see Astrid through a hold in the fog, atop a branch above the battlefield, lowering her bow.

Volf leaned his head back, staring at the sky as he tried to catch his breath. Over the ringing in his head, he heard Marmaros shout something indiscernible.

“You, Thok, and Arvald go after them, then!” Bryll yelled back. “The rest of us, we can’t risk another attack!”

Volf rolled his head to see Thok and Marmaros disappear into the fog, as Arvald turned and ran up to Sveta, who fell to her knees clutching her arm.

“Dammit, Arvald! Let me go!” Sveta screamed, trying to push Arvald off of her.

“Sveta, no! I won’t let you!” Arvald cried, “You need to have Tallim heal your arm!”

Sveta glared at Arvald, her eyes dripping with malice. “I’m not finished! I won’t shame my family, letting those monsters get the better of me!”

“No, Sveta, you’re mistaken.”

Sveta and Arvald turned towards Astrid, who had descended from her perch and was looking down at them with a strange calm on her face.

“You made your ancestors proud today,” Astrid continued. “Rest knowing that you saved your village from the hordes this day.”

Sveta cast her eyes to the ground and gripped her arm tighter. “My father will never accept that I let the monsters get away...”

Astrid shook her head. “Maybe so, If that’s the story you tell him, but what I saw today was someone who put everything on the line to protect her kinsman. Wounded pride or no, you saved not just Volf today, but countless others in the future. Hold your head up high with that knowledge.”

Sveta relented with a withering sigh, and Arvald kneeled down to hold her, looking up to mouth ‘thank you’ to Astrid.

“You've done well, everyone,” Astrid announced. “Three, six, nine… We've killed fifteen of them now, that just leaves the last five to Bryll’s brothers.” 

She turned to Bryll. “Will they be able to handle the aquanites on their own?”

Bryll nodded. “They will. Those monsters are not long for this world.”

“Good. Then we should return to the lodge and report our success.”

The air was tense and the fog was thick as the group slowly trekked their way back to the hunting lodge. Upon arrival, Astrid, Volf, and Bryll noted down everything they hunted today, and Arvald practically dragged Sveta to the healer to look at her arm. 

Volf lit the small fireplace, then flopped down on the wooden sofa, lounging with his arm over his eyes. Bryll slumped down in a chair while Astrid poured everyone some water and brought it over to them.

“Thank you, um, Your Highness,” Bryll said, straightening up her posture and holding the cup in both hands.

Astrid placed her and Volf’s cup on the table, then sat down across from Bryll, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knee. “You two look exhausted.”

Volf yawned. “Yeah, we’re not smart like you,” he said. “We didn’t learn to use a bow.”

“I’m glad you say that,” Astrid said bemusedly, “because my father certainly doesn’t think so.”

“I’m surprised he lets you use that bow at all,” Bryll glanced at the bow lying on the table. “You’d think he’d be against something so—”

“Magical?” Astrid interrupted, her face plastered with a cold, serious smirk. “Be that as it may, Seercull still requires much skill to wield. It’s nothing so paltry as a magic trick.”

“Oh, uh…” Bryll raised her hand and smiled. “I didn’t mean it like that, I think it’s amazing the way you use it.”

Volf sat up. “Yeah, like that time you shot an arrow in the sky and parted the fog so we could see what time it was!” he said, imitating the action. “That was awesome!”

Astrid smiled. “And I must commend all of you for your synergy. Despite their baffling stubbornness, Rellekkans are truly amazing warriors when they work together.”

Volf laughed. “That’s why we’re the pride of the Fremennik!”

“Huh,” Astrid scoffed into her glass. “Pride indeed.”

She took a long drink of her water. “Earlier, you two returned to the village to ‘check on your students’. What was that about?”

“Oh, uh, Volf and I are training some of our youths for their trials,” Bryll explained. “To ensure that they pass this year.”

Astrid chuckled. “Well, it’s about time someone did something. Good on you.”

Volf and Bryll smiled sheepishly. “Thanks.” Volf said.

“Do I know them?” Astrid asked. “Is it… ahh, what’s that boy’s name, the Chief’s son… Arnold?”

Bryll covered her mouth as she laughed and Volf choked on his water. 

“Um, n-no, Your Highness,” Volf said between coughs. “I don’t know if you would know their names, but uh, it’s Tallim’s son, Thorvald’s daughter, and the outlander.”

Astrid’s face flashed with surprise for a moment, before she leaned over to rest her head onto her fist. “Is that so…” she mused. “I suppose that’s what Brundt wanted to discuss with me — he wanted to flaunt the poor outlander in front of me to get back in my good graces.”

She sneered. “It wasn’t enough they were ready to throw him to the wolves on a whim, now they have him dancing around town to their own amusement. ‘Oh, look at the outlander’, they’ll say, ‘look as he begs and pleads to become one of us!’”

Volf and Bryll glanced sideways at each other silently, and Volf opened his mouth to say something.

Before he had the chance, Astrid leaned forward. “So, what? You two are putting in the effort to train the outlander like one of your youths. Is he being offered the same reward as them?” she asked. “Knowing Brundt, that sly old coot, he’s making him do it as a favour. Trying to make your youths look better than the outlander— make the council feel better about their failings at properly preparing their kids.”

“I-I don’t think Brundt would make him take the trials and not also let him become a true Fremennik,” Bryll interjected.

“Oh, you don’t?” Astrid scoffed. “Good on you. I admire that hopefulness.”

“I mean, when Brundt sees that Dozens is just as good as everyone else, after all his hard work, there’s just no way…” Volf said desperately. “It wouldn’t be fair!”

Astrid leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Fair, huh?” she said heavily, looking down her nose at them as the light of the fireplace crackled on her face. “At this point in his life, torn from his home, his family, being paraded around in this circus of a village, what do you consider ‘fair’ for the outlander?”

Volf and Bryll were at a loss for words, and the three of them sat in silence.

Astrid stood up, grabbing and slinging her bow over her arm. “Will I see you two tomorrow as well?” she asked.

“Y-yeah…” Volf said hoarsely.

“Excellent. I look forward to hunting with you tomorrow,” she said, putting her fingers to her chest and bowing. “I appreciate the assistance from both of you today, and I commend you on your efforts with your students. I wish them well on the upcoming trials.”

And with that, Astrid exited the lodge, disappearing into the murky fog. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Golden Gnome Nominee Chaos Elemental for beta reading!


	22. Chapter 22

"Brand…" Astrid called. Brand!"

Brand’s eyes shot wide open –

– then they groggily drifted closed. With a groan, his head slowly drifted off of his warm pillow and he cupped his face with his hand, rubbing the drowsiness away.

The air in their room was brisk and dewy this morning, and a dim, grey light filtered in from the vent at the top corner of the wall. The shadowy figure of his sister loomed over him, mostly put together in her hunting gear.

"What time is it?" he croaked.

"Eight in the morning, like you asked," Astrid responded as she pulled a comb out of her bag. "So you have time to get ready for your date."

Brand rolled onto his back and rested his hands behind his head, letting the cool morning air blow against his chest. "I don't remember calling it a date, Astrid."

"Whatever it is," Astrid said, brushing her hair. "Your little play date with the outlander."

Brand took in a slow, deep breath through his nose. "He has a name."

"And you know as well as I that I can't remember it."

"It’s Riza."

"Okay, your play date with Reesa."

Brand rolled his eyes, then caught himself from drifting back to sleep.

"What is the purpose of mornings?" he sighed. "A task afternoon/is just as finished."

When Astrid didn’t respond Brand rolled onto his side and rested his head on his hand. "How is your migraine?"

Astrid turned to face Brand. "Actually, it subsided after we were an hour out from the island."

"How odd. The same is true for me," Brand noted. "What a strange malady."

Astrid nodded. "Yes, though I'm glad the affliction is not something like the flu, or worse."

"Have you noticed how it's been affecting Father?"

Astrid turned back to her bag. "How could I not? Especially after he broke his favorite end-table."

"I believe it was Mother's end-table."

They sat in a shared silence as Astrid tied her hair back in a ponytail with a ribbon.

Eventually Brand piped up. "The monsters yesterday… was hunting them as thrilling as you anticipated?"

Astrid took a moment to finish before answering. "It's strange."

"What is?"

"The way the monsters move in packs, and the way they seem to communicate wordlessly,” Astrid said. “Not even just between the same species." 

She held her hand under her mouth. "If you consider the map at the lodge, you can see that the kurasks seem to move in accordance to the turoths, who coordinate with the basilisks and cockatrices, and so on."

Brand yawned. "You think the monsters are… organized?"

Astrid looked away in thought. 

"Perhaps. Though I wouldn't go so far as to say that with conviction," she said finally. "The way they fight, though — it's ferocious beyond anything I've ever seen."

Brand closed his eyes. "Hm. It appears the outlander’s fear of the woods isn't entirely unfounded."

"Again with the outlander," Astrid murmured as she stood up.

Brand opened his eyes and glanced at her with a pout. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She leaned in for a moment. "You're obsessed, is what it means! Every time we discuss Rellekka, you open the door and he creeps his way into the conversation."

"I can't help it, his situation is just so fascinating!" Brand mused while laying on his back. "Imagine what stories he has to tell!"

"Don't lose yourself in your fantasies, Brand. He's just a boy, like you." she chided, before looking over her brother and shaking her head. "But unlike you, he's probably dressed by now. Why did you have me wake you if you were just going to lounge in bed?"

Brand turned around and hugged his pillow. "Mm… the bed is so warm, though! I'll miss its warm embrace/like a comforting painting of cider."

Astrid smiled and shook her head again as she slung her bow over her shoulder. "I hope you have fun on your date, should you even make it in time," she said, leaving the room.

Brand sat up. "Stay safe!" he called after her. "I wish you the best of luck in hunting!"

After waiting a few moments, Brand flopped back down, losing himself in his pillow's embrace.

"Hm… perhaps I  _ should _ get ready soon…" he mused to himself, "but this bed is  _ sooo  _ warm!"

***

_ "Can you believe the nerve of that prince?" Kyle grumbled, trying to kick rocks with their imaginary feet. "Time must mean nothing for someone of his status!" _

Sitting curled up outside of Inga’s house, Riza waited for his escort in the company of his friends. 

_ It's fine, Kyle,  _ Riza thought, rubbing his dry, sleepy eyes. _ Maybe he’s not a morning person. _

_ Kyle's head snapped towards Riza, their cheeks puffy around their angry pout. "Morning person, nothing! What, he expects you to wait here patiently until he’s finished buttering his honeycombs!? If I was here I’d… I'd…!“ _

Riza yawned, then stared at the ground with a grin.  _ What would you do, Kyle? _

_ Kyle put their thumb up to their mouth and hrmmed contemplatively. After a minute or so they snapped their fingers and pointed skyward. _

_ "I'd pour milk in his shoes!" they exclaimed happily. _

_ Malone started giggling while Riza's jaw dropped. _

_ Milk in his shoes!?  _ Riza parroted.  _ He wears boots, though! That's so much milk! _

_ Kyle swayed playfully with their hands behind their back. "I wouldn't FILL them with milk," they said with a sinister smile. "That'd be so expensive! No, I'd put in just enough so that when he sticks his toes in he'd know what he'd done." _

Riza covered his mouth to muffle himself.  _ Th-that’s… that's…  _ He couldn't contain his laughter and let out a few squeaks, closing his eyes to try and compose himself.

_ Kyle leaned down, craning their head into Riza’s view as their pitch black hair curtained down their face. _

Riza looked up at his friend incredulously.  _ That's so stupid, Kyle! How would he make the connection that–  _ He snorted.  _ –that milk in his shoes had anything to do with being late!? _

_ "I feel like there're much better uses for that milk then shoe pranks," Malone offered. "Why not have it with some cookies instead?" _

The three friends silently looked at each other, their eyes widening.

_ Gods, when was the last time we had cookies!? _

_ "Forever!" Kyle cried. "You should ask Inga for some!" _

Riza rested his head on his hands.  _ Where would she get them? She doesn’t have an oven to bake them in… _

_ "You should ask her if she knows where to find some!" Malone offered. "Or, no! Even better, you should ask Brand! He might know!" _

_ Mm… I dunno about that. _

_ Kyle and Malone jolted closer to Riza. "Why nooot!?" Malone whined. "Rizaaa! I want cookies!" _

Riza's brow furrowed.  _ You're not going to get any! You're not real! _

_ Kyle shook their head. "That's not the point! You deserve some cookies after working so hard, don't you?" _

_ Malone grabbed onto Riza’s arm and futilely tried to shake him. "C'mooon, treat yourself to something nice for once!" _

Riza waved his hand and looked away.  _ "I don't deserve anything like that." _

_ Malone backed off and pouted. "I'm not gonna leave you alone until you ask him." _

_ Yeah, you and everyone else. _

"Good morning, Riza!" called a voice from aside. "Forgive me for my tardiness. Have you been waiting long?"

Riza looked up and saw Brand approaching, wearing a green tunic and a vibrant blue vest that added a splash of color against the overcast sky. He waved with a glowing smile, masking the heavy bags under his eyes that told a story of a rough time getting up.

"Oh, um, no, not at all!" Riza lied while standing up. "I, uh, I actually thought I was gonna to be late, myself!"

_ "Don't you cover for him!" Kyle cried. _

Riza’s heart skipped as he realized his friends weren't disappearing. "Uh, also good morning to you too."

Brand rested his finger against his cheek. "Ah, a pair of kindred youths/troubled by the rising of the morning sun," he said. "Dispensing of pretense, I've not been awake this early in recent memory."

Riza heard Kyle fuming like a kettle behind him. 

"Uh, actually, I thought I'd be the one who's late on account've this."

Bending down, Riza picked up a small cloth-wrapped package off the ground and held it up by its knot with a wide, toothy smile.

Brand stared at it blankly. "That is…?"

"Lunch!" Riza said with a bounce. "I got up early and made this for us later!"

Riza felt Malone tap his shoulder, and resisted the urge to turn around.

_ "Riza?" he said. "Ask him about the cookies." _

Gasping softly, Brand slowly lowered his hand down to his chest. "Why, Riza, I'm touched! How kind of you to prepare something for me, too."

Riza scratched his head and looked away. "Oh, uh, it's no big deal."

"Well, I'll have to make it up in kind to you someday," Brand said.

" _ Riza!" _

Riza shook his head. "Oh, no, you don't have to–"

_ "Yes he does! Ask him for some cookies!" _

"–um, I-I figured it'd be better than having to, y’know, forage or something."

_ "Riza!!" _

Riza shut his eyes tight for a moment as Brand started to respond.  _ Gods dammit Malone, shut up about the fucking cookies!  _ he thought with clenched teeth.

Brand looked at Riza quizzically, and Riza’s heart sank.

"S-sorry, I’m uh, y’know…" Riza gestured generically towards Inga’s house, "Not a morning person, o-or something," he mumbled with a grimace.

"Ah," Brand nodded unconvincingly, while Riza contemplated dying. "Well, are you ready to go?"

"Y-yeah…"

Riza grabbed his pack and followed Brand down the road, heading towards the back exit to the village. Kyle and Malone obediently waited by Inga’s house, waving goodbye to their friend before finally fading away.

As Riza caught up with Brand, the prince suddenly took a deep breath, brought out a hand and foot and held them dramatically. "The summer sun at morn/neither east nor west/hangs wearily in the sky/like a fiery curtain ablaze." 

_ … not like a torch? _

He shifted his weight onto the foot and did a half turn, facing Riza with a proud smile and an open palm. "How read are you, Riza? Do you know the greats of poetry?"

Riza opened his mouth to respond, but Brand continued. "My sister and I were raised on novels and tomes imported from the mainland by our mother. I find ballads and poems the most inspiring and evocative of the medium. What about you? Do you have a favorite kind of book?"

Riza faded back into the conversation when he noticed Brand was actually waiting for him to speak. "Um… I dunno what genre you call the books I like," he said. "Fiction, I guess?"

Brand raised one of his low brows. "Fiction?" he repeated. "That encompasses many genres – half of them, in fact. What sort of fiction do you mean?"

Riza felt the tempo of his heart increase. "Uh, um… I-I dunno. Like… uh, like…" he grimaced. "It's hard to explain. C-can I get back to you when I've thought about it?"

Brand shrugged. "Very well." 

He scanned the path forward with his hand on his brow. "I almost worry my presence wasn't required, as I don't recall Armod being a morning person either."

"Um… I'm sorry about that," Riza muttered.

_ "Don't be sorry, Riza…" _

"Oh, don't be! I'm looking forward to spending time outside the village," Brand said. "There's something about the crisp morning air, though, have you noticed? It's brisk, refreshing, like a cold pillow against a warm face."

Riza nodded. "Yeah. It's nice."

His gaze drifted up to the sky, the grey clouds reflected in his dewey eyes. "You know, I always thought that the morning sky was painted the same hues as the evening one, but it isn't, is it? I suppose it's too late to compare, though."

Riza looked up as well. "Hmm… I think sunrise is at six, usually."

Horror crossed Brand's face. "Agh, really!?" he exclaimed. "Have you ever seen it? I could never."

Riza gave Brand a wide, flat smile and a nod. 

_ Yeah. Today. _

Brand stared dreamily at the sky for a while before his face suddenly lit up. "Ah, actually, I've only just read about this recently – you know of the stars at night? Apparently the outlanders have arranged them in groups, assigning them creatures and names! In fact, the positions of these groups reflect the day of your birth. Can you believe that?"

Riza tilted his head bemusedly. "Yeah. That's, um, astrology. It was made by a Zamorakian, though, so it's not that big in a lotta places."

Brand clapped his hand together. "Ah, so you do know!" he said giddily. "It is utterly fascinating, isn't it? There are so many things that the outlanders have done that are just baffling to read about! For example–"

Riza listened as Brand continued monologuing through the town and across the beach, tickled by the prince's sheltered view of the outside world, and entertained by his charming explanations of his thoughts. Before they knew it, they found themselves within a few minutes walking distance from the land-bridge to the hunting area, and Riza realized he was so engaged, he didn't even notice that they passed by the forest.

"–and apparently, the way the canvas is stretched across the frame, it's able to catch the wind and allows the gnomes to glide like…"

Brand put his finger up to his mouth, then looked at Riza.

"Go on," Riza said. "Glide like what?"

Brand’s face deflated with worry, and Riza’s heart sunk.

_ Oh, gods, did I do something wrong? _

"I… apologize," Brand admitted. "I realize now that I dominated the conversation throughout the journey."

"Oh, no, it’s fine!" Riza said quickly. "I was, uh, I was interested in what you were talking about."

Brand  _ tsked _ . "I should have been the one to say that about you," he sighed. "In fact, you never told me what kind of books you like."

Riza’s eyes widened as his cheeks flushed. "Ah, uh, it's okay. I-I’m not that interesting, ahah…" he said, his face twisting sheepishly. 

Brand put his hands on Riza’s shoulders, which peaked as Riza’s heart stopped. "Oh, please, Riza," he said. "There’s no need for that!"

Riza frowned. His hands were surprisingly warm against his tunic sleeves, and thawed the blood in Riza's veins.

"There are a lot of things that only you would be able to tell me, especially about the outlands," Brand continued. "For example… Tell me about Ardougne! I want to see it through your eyes, with your voice."

Something dark bubbled up within Riza’s core, and he glanced away.

_ Who cares about Ardougne? Nobody there cares about me. _

Riza shuddered with disgust at the thought, and glared at the ground. "Uhm… wh-what about it?"

Brand smiled warmly. "It. The city. I don't know anything about it outside of what I've read. I want to know how you see it."

An ocean breeze danced around the pair, while Brand waited expectantly for Riza’s response.

Riza cleared his throat. "Um… w-well…" he started. "It's, um, crowded. Everything is basically built on top of each other, and even then, the major roads are usually, like, filled with people from all over the world."

Riza paused expectantly, but Brand merely nodded. "Mhm."

They continued walking towards the land-bridge. "Um…” Riza continued. “There're a lot of places I've never been, since I was still too young when I… left… but it's the kinda city where you could go to a new place every day for years, maybe until you die, even."

"Places?" Brand asked.

"Like, cafés, or restaurants, or something. I think just on the same block as my… as my parents’ shop, there's a cafe, a furrier, a bakery, uh, a… uh..."

Riza knew there were at least five other shops that he frequented regularly, but he couldn’t recall them, and a fear slithered its way into his core.

"Um… there're a lot of little parks and stuff that me and… my friends… would go to. They were usually filled with like, nobles and stuff who were walking their pets, looking down on us… well, not on my other friend, since he was nobility but…"

Riza rambled on about his fond memories about Ardougne – the sweetness of its pastries and desserts, the sounds of gurgling brooks that weaved their way through town and the mesh of musical cultures that echoed between the towering buildings. He recounted the freedom of being a kid in a city that had everything, and the highs and lows of being there with his friends, back when he had something to offer this world.

Riza would periodically look over at Brand, who listened quietly. He worried that he was boring the prince out of his mind, to the point that when Brand would close his eyes to think, Riza thought he had somehow fallen asleep while walking.

The light dusting of snow crunched underfoot as they arrived at the hunting area.

"– a-and the way the cobblestone looks in the rain at night when you walk through the market, it's like, haunting because nobody's around, but the lanterns they hang on the pennants reflect on the ground and it looks like starlight."

Riza fell silent, waiting a final time for Brand to interject with his thoughts. "Um… how was that?" he asked.

Brand closed his eyes and held up his lyre, plucking a few notes in thought. "... you tell me. It was your description," he said finally.

Riza shuffled his feet a bit.  _ I… don't know what else you want to hear... _

Brand opened his eyes slightly and glanced over at Riza. "I see…" he said, witheringly. "Your memories of Ardougne are fond – beautiful, even. I wish to see it someday."

"Y-yeah…" Riza said. "Um, thank you for coming here with me, by the way."

Brand smiled brightly. "Think nothing of it! I quite enjoyed the walk."

Riza rubbed the back of his neck. "So, uh, what are you going to do, now?"

Brand's eyebrows arched. "I had planned on spectating your training, if that's alright with you."

Riza deflated.  _ Oh, gods, really…? _

"A-are you sure?" he asked. "It'll probably be really boring…"

Brand dismissed that with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about my entertainment," he said. "Regardless of what your training entails, I can keep myself occupied."

Riza sighed guiltily, to himself, then pointed over to a distant snowbank.

"Alright. Uh, let's go over there, then."

***

Riza learned two things during this training session – that Bryll and Volf’s ability to tell the time by the sun's position was even more desirable when they were not around, and that there were limits to Brand's vast knowledge.

He spent the morning hunting kebbits, with Brand following closely behind. Despite how often he had done this by now, Riza still squirmed and grimaced when it came to killing his caught prey. 

“Tell me, Riza,” Brand said over his shoulder. “How long have you been hunting out here, again?”

Riza sniffled. “Like, two months now, I think.”

“Truly? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Wh-what’s that supposed to mean!?”

Brand threw his hands up and heel-turned. “Ohhh, nothing, nothing at all,” he sighed, before glancing back with his fingers interlocked. “What do you suppose your personal ballad would be called?  _ The Boy Who Cries for Kebbits,  _ perhaps?”

Riza stammered out a series of half-words, before settling on “Wh-what!? Shut  _ uuup!  _ It’s not my fault, okay!?”

“Are you sure?” Brand asked, kneeling down next to Riza with his chin rested on his fist. “I mean, you’re the one who killed it.”

“Do you want to do this, then!?” Riza pouted.

“I’m not the one being tested tomorrow,” Brand responded, smiling triumphantly.

Riza grabbed the corpse of the kebbit by the scruff of its neck and held it up to Brand’s face, who recoiled with a squeal.

“Well, I’m testing you now!” he said. “Show me how a prince skins a kebbit, if you’re such an expert!”

“AHHH!” Brand half-laughed, half-screamed. “Get that thing out of my face!”

“It’s looking at you!”

“It most certainly is not!”

When the sun had made its way directly overhead, Riza stopped so that the two boys could enjoy the lunch he packed – a set of sliced meat sandwiches and a set of all vegetable sandwiches. Riza regretted that he didn't pack anything to warm them up, but Brand seemed to enjoy the lunch regardless, regaling Riza with more of his whimsical thoughts. 

At one point, Brand offered to show Riza how to strum a few notes on his lyre.  _ Bring Me Home _ was apparently a staple of trial season, as it was one of the first songs that aspiring bards learned to play, so Riza learned an amateur-level accompaniment to it. 

It wasn’t great, as Riza’s soft singing voice couldn’t save him from playing every note incorrectly, but the boys found it to be lighthearted fun. Through the giggles, Riza silently promised to learn to play properly someday to say thank you to Brand.

After lunch, Brand’s early rising caught up to him, and he decided to take a nap. Not wanting to leave him alone, Riza shifted gears and did some weapons training nearby. 

A few hours later, Riza’s arms started aching from the strain and he decided to finish for the day. He returned to their eating spot and sat down as quietly as he could, so as to not disturb the prince.

Riza sighed softly and closed his eyes.  _ This is it, huh? My last day before the trials… _

_ … Gods, am I ready for this…? I don’t feel any different from two months ago. What will happen if I fail all the trials spectacularly? Would they kick me out because of it? _

_ … Then again, what’s the alternative? That I rot away here as an unwanted guest in this village? Is that the fate I’m resigned to? _

_ … Maybe that’s the fate I deserve. _

He glanced over at Brand, noting how he doesn’t seem to snore, but does sometimes let out a mumbling groan.

_ I wonder what he expects from me. It seems like every Fremennik I’ve met has laid some sort of expectation on me. _

_ I mean, he wouldn’t spend an entire day with someone like me if he didn’t want something out of it, right? _

Riza rested his chin on his hands and smiled slightly.  _ He’s cute when he’s sleeping. I wonder if he’s gay too? Gods, it’d be like a fairy tale, falling in love with a prince…  _

_ I bet he isn’t, though. That’d be just my luck. _

_ … Although…  _

_ … Nah. _

_ … Oh, right, I never told him what kind of books I like. _

Riza contemplated his answer for the next few minutes. Eventually, Brand exhaled softly, then slowly turned his head and opened his eyes.

"Good morning," Riza said. "Again, I guess."

Brand smiled warmly, then glanced away–

–then his eyes shot open and he sat up with a start.

"Riza!" he hissed, nodding his head forward.

Riza turned around. In the far distance he saw a large figure – humanoid in shape, but much, much wider – staring back in their direction. Its dark grey body loomed over the pure white snow, and its bright green eyes were locked with Riza’s.

Riza’s lips quivered, trying to verbalize a simple question, but the words were lost in the sound of his quickening heartbeat.

"R-Riza, we have to run!" Brand whispered in Riza's ear, having crawled up next to him.

"Wh-what is that…?" Riza exhaled.

"It’s a troll!" he said. "They're very, very dangerous, we need to go, now!"

Riza grabbed his sword. "It can already see us, though."

"So what!?" Brand growled.

"Even if we run, he's standing between us and the bridge!"

Brand shook his head. "But maybe we can trick it so we can get around it!" he said. "Trolls aren't that intelligent, it might work!

The fingers on the troll’s barrel-like hands twitched, then slowly rose to grasp its head. It started writhing around, and eventually let out a bellow that shook Riza to the core.

The troll stamped and flailed and cursed and screamed. Then just as quickly as it started its tantrum, it came to an abrupt stop.

It slowly lowered its face, locking eyes with Riza again. Its shoulders rose and fell from deep, seething breaths of anger.

“Riza!” Brand hissed.”

The troll took a step, then another.

It clawed at the snow as it moved, it shook its head slowly, and its large, underbitten mouth swayed as it grinded its teeth together.

Another step, then another, moving faster and faster ahead.

It saw them, it was coming towards them, and it was going to attack them. 

Riza knew all of this, but he was frozen in place with a strange mixture of resolve and fear, 

"Riza!" Brand cried again, grabbing ahold of his wrist. "Let's go!"

The tugging on his arm brought Riza back to reality and he sprung to his feet.

The two boys started their mad dash over the bank, and they could hear the crashing of the troll’s feet behind them. The kebbits that had ventured outside immediately scattered and burrowed away. 

Riza looked to his right, and saw the troll flanking them from the side. Its body was covered in protrusions that looked almost like stone, like a mountain that was given a man’s body.

He wrested his hand out of Brands grasp and turned to face it.

"What are you doing!?" Brand cried.

Riza widened his stance as the monster approached. It let out a bellowing cry and raised its massive fist. Riza's chest tightened as he realized the beast was twice his size in height.

Riza lept backwards as the fist came down on the ground with a  _ thoom!  _ kicking up a cloud of snow and dirt. Riza landed, then immediately sprung forward, bringing down his sword on the monster’s arm.

_ Clang! _

It struck a rock-hard plate on its wrist, and Riza’s felt the impact echo through his body as he staggered back.

His head rattling from the sensation, Riza lost his balance and fell on his butt.

"Roooaargh!" the monster roared, as it reared its arms back again, putting its hands together and swung–

Riza saw Brand slide on his knees next to him, strumming his lyre furiously. He sang out a note and a light blue wall covered the two boys.

_ Slam!  _ The troll's arm landed on the barrier. Brand looked over at Riza with wide, expectant eyes as he continued to sing his ballad.

" _ Roooargh _ ! Make! Da! Lady! Stop!" the troll cried, accentuating his words with punches. "Make her  _ stooop _ !"

Riza stood up, crouching to stay within the confines of the barrier. "H-how long will this thing last?" he asked.

Brand shook his head, continuing to sing.

"Shit. Uh, well…" Riza’s eyes darted around in thought. "C-can  _ MY  _ sword go through this?"

Band nodded as hard as he could, his pupils dilating as he got to the second verse.

"Hoomans! Make da lady  _ stooop _ !"

The troll's fist smashed down on the shield, and with a  _ crash, _ it shattered. Brand squealed, covering his face, and the troll recoiled backwards. 

Riza took the opportunity and thrust his blade forward, right into the troll's belly.

The troll roared again, holding its stomach in pain.

Riza took Brand's hand and they ran around, past their assailant, heading towards the land bridge. Unfortunately, within moments they heard the troll following behind them again.

"D-do you have a song that makes us run faster!?" Riza cried.

"No, I don't!"

"C-can you teleport us back to Rellekka, then!?"

"We need to be standing still!"

_ Gods, why is everything so hard around here!? _

Riza suddenly heard the cry of a strange animal, and turned around again. 

A flash of white bounded off of the snow bank behind the troll, revealing itself to be a large white cat with massive fangs. It latched itself onto the troll with its paws, and sunk its teeth into the nape of the monster’s neck.

The troll bellowed, and another pair of cats jumped out of nowhere, tackling the troll to the ground in a blur. Had their shaggy white fur not been moving in the breeze, and had a pool of green blood not been seeping underneath, Riza would have thought the troll had just been buried in the snow by a sudden avalanche.

_ What the hell!? _

Walking up behind the cats was a large white-furred, gorilla-like creature, about as big as the troll, but much more hunched over. It was holding some kind of blue weapon in its massive fist, and the cats seemed to part away as it approached.

“Riza, come on.” Brand insisted. “We have to get out of here.”

“What is that?” Riza gasped, backing up to keep an eye on the creature.

“A yeti.” Brand said plainly. “One that seems to be keeping a pack of kyatts.”

“Is it dangerous?”

Brand remained silent, and the yeti looked over at the two boys. It let out a massive roar that shook the snow off of the dead trees surrounding it, but otherwise didn't make a move.

“We should go, before we aggravate it further.” Brand muttered.

“Y-yeah.” Riza said, and he followed him out of the hunting area.

***

The boys sat on the beach just outside of the village to catch their breath. Brand leaned back on his hands, staring at the sky with his lyre on his lap, and took a deep breath.

“That was truly more exciting than I thought it was going to be!” Brand exclaimed. “I guess there’s a reason the mountain range is called Trollheim, huh?”

He glanced over to Riza, who had been despondently staring at the sand since they arrived.

“Your skill with a sword came in handy. We lucked out that you happened to be training with it earlier!”

Riza muttered something under his breath.

“What was that?”

Riza’s face scrunched together. “I didn’t do anything.”

Brand’s bow furrowed. “What? That’s blatantly untrue, Riza, and you know that!”

Riza didn’t respond.

“Riza!” Brand cried incredulously. “Are you being serious right now? Had it not been for your quick thinking, we never would have made it out of there alive!”

“I-I should have done better.” Riza said quickly, curling his legs up to his chest.

“Better then what?” Brand laughed. “Better then alive and uninjured?”

Riza side-eyed Brand. “I should have been able to kill him,” he sighed. “Volf and Bryll would have been able to, because they were able to pass their trials.”

“Is that what this is about?” Brand put his hand on Riza’s shoulder. “Riza, let me tell you with utmost honesty, you are very overqualified for the trial—”

His hand was smacked away.

“You don’t know that!” Riza said bitterly. “You don’t know how badly I can fail!”

Brand stared, wide-eyed, and Riza glared back. Eventually Riza’s brows curved in pain as his eyes shimmered. 

“R-Riza…” Brand leaned in to try and hold Riza, only to be pushed away.

“E-everyone, especially you, needs to stop putting all these… all these hopes, a-and expectations on me!” he stammered. “I’m not good enough! I’m not strong enough! I’ll NEVER be strong enough! I’m going to fail you, and the chief, and my friends, because… because…”

A wave of guilt crashed over Riza when he couldn’t find the words, and he covered his mouth, causing his heavy breaths to echo between his fingers.

“I-I shouldn’t have stayed in this stupid village.” he continued. “I sh-I should have d-died that night… in the forest. At least then I couldn’t fail anyone, anymore.”

Brand opened his mouth, but for the first time that day, he was speechless.

“I-I’m sorry. This isn’t your problem,” Riza muttered, before standing up.

“R-Riza, please, don’t go.” Brand reached out and grabbed Riza’s hand, only for Riza to pull it away.

“Brand, can you just—” Riza started to yell through clenched teeth, before catching himself with a frustrated sigh.

With that, Riza turned and ran towards the village, leaving Brand alone on the cold, rocky beach with so many words left unsaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Golden Gnome Nominee Chaos_Elemental for beta reading!


End file.
